


take my hand, have my soul

by brahe



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Complete, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Epilogue, First Kiss, Force Bond (Star Wars), Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapped anakin, M/M, Major Character Injury, Near Death Experiences, Obi-Wan Needs a Hug, Palpatine left the chancellorship and disappeared, Rescue Missions, Some Fluff, Some angst, Soul Bond, Sparring, The Force, There's a lot of that, a loose rewrite of revenge of the sith, accidental life bond, also featuring the hunt for a sith lord, anakin is not friends with Palpatine, brief cameos from other sw characters, communication!, feat. the council as a bunch of jerks, hurt anakin, mentions blood, mildly graphic depiction of injury?, obi wan and anakin deal with accidentally bonding their souls, obi-wan catches feelings, obi-wan's life has not been great, so rare, some violence, vague mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-06-09 12:50:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 30,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6908008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brahe/pseuds/brahe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's only after the fact that Obi-Wan realizes what he's done, how many rules he's broken, what he's admitted to. It's only as he's watching Anakin rest in the medical bay with his emotions washing over him like waves in a ocean does he realize what's happened.</p><p>Or,<br/>Obi-Wan accidentally creates a soul bond with Anakin, and they deal with the consequences of attachment during war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. you were almost there, almost fine

**Author's Note:**

> so this is my entry for the 2016 obikin big bang. this got so far away from me. soooo far. I'm not sure I like the way it turned out? but here it is, anyways. enjoy, and feedback appreciated!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title of fic and chapters adapted from won't stop by onerepublic

The sounds of blaster fire and exploding machinery surrounded the valley. The Separatists had driven them down the hillside and now had the upper ground. Surrendering now would mean giving up what they'd been working at for weeks; continuing to fight would mean losing at least a third of their unit. Obi-Wan Kenobi found himself at an impasse. He mulled over the options as he deflected the blaster shots somewhat distractedly. 

  
A loud crash followed by a sudden heat on his face brought him back to the moment. The fire from an explosion burned a few feet away from him, turning droids into charred scraps. He briefly wondered what has caused the explosion, but a cheerful shout to his left told him the answer.

  
"Really, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed.

  
"What?" The other jedi asked, shrugging. He looked smug, and Obi-Wan just shook his head.

  
They had been on the front line for the whole battle. While clones were excellent fighters, the advantage of a lead by a jedi couldn't be ignored. It had been like this for most of the fighting on Jabiim, and Obi-Wan was ready to be done with it all. His clothes were perpetually soaked and he doubted he would be able to get all of the mud out of his boots. It had been what felt like months since he'd had a comfortable night's sleep, and his muscles ached constantly. He wasn't built for fighting like this.

  
Anakin, on the other hand, never seemed to run out of energy. It was like he lived off the victories, turning a success into adrenaline. And he seemed to be getting better, even. His fighting skill were better and his battle tactics were increasingly creative. Obi-Wan was proud, even if he wished Anakin could have developed those skills in a safer, less violent way. 

  
There was a sudden blur across his field of view, bringing his attention back to the battle. He parried a blaster shot back to its origin before turning to look at Obi-Wan.

  
"You should really pay more attention, Master." There was snark in his voice, but Obi-Wan could feel the quick release of relief through the training bond they never broke. "Letting your mind drift in battle?" Anakin said, twisting his lightsaber in his hands. "It's unbecoming of a jedi."

  
"And you'd know all about that," Obi-Wan sassed back. Anakin did have a point, though, beneath all the sarcasm, and Obi-Wan turned his thoughts outward to the fight. Anakin flipped his saber.

  
"Why of course," he smirked. "I am - " 

  
"Anakin, look out!"

  
Time seemed to slow down. Anakin furrowed his brow at Obi-Wan in confusion as the blaster shot approached. Obi-Wan moved quickly, lightsaber at the ready, but the shot was faster. It collided with Anakin's shoulder, burning through robes and skin, as Obi-Wan rolled across the ground to him. There was a short cry of pain as Anakin fell to one knee and then the other, dropping his lightsaber in favor of gripping at his shoulder. Obi-Wan held his other shoulder, and Anakin looked up at him. The pain he could feel through the bond lessened as Anakin put up the shields.

  
"What...what are you doing?" Anakin asked through clenched teeth. "Shouldn't you be - ah," he broke off, wincing and biting the inside of his cheek. "Shouldn't you be fighting?"

  
Obi-Wan flicked his gaze between the rapidly darkening fabric on Anakin's shoulder to his pinched face, still in a short of shock. He shook his head.

  
"Right," he mumbled, standing back up in front of his former padawan.

  
The opposing force looked much more daunting now. The clones had filled in when Anakin and Obi-Wan had fallen back, but they weren't making much headway. Obi-Wan turned to Anakin for a brief moment, tossing him his comlink.

  
"Call the _Endeavor_. Order an evac."

  
"But Obi-Wan - "

  
"Do it, Anakin."

  
"Fine."

  
The comlink crackled to life, and Obi-Wan heard Anakin start the order, but the sounds of battle stole his focus. He deflected a dozen blaster shots, taking out as many droids, but he kept glancing towards Anakin. The color was draining quickly from his face, and based on the increased amount of pain seeping through their bond, his control was slipping too. Obi-Wan hoped the lift crew would arrive in time.

  
The lull in the fight wasn't going to last much longer, Obi-Wan mused, watching the waves of droids quickly approaching. Fighting them off was going to be much harder without a second jedi.

  
"Hold on, Anakin," Obi-Wan said softly. He didn't look to see if Anakin heard him. Instead, suddenly gripped with an idea, he kicked up Anakin's lightsaber from where it laid on the ground, catching and lighting it just as the first line of new droids began shooting.

 

  
It had been a long time since he had trained with dual sabers, and he had never used them in battle. He felt confident in his skill, though, and his feeling was backed up by performance. He spun around in a blue blur, sending shots back and cutting down droids faster than he could ever remember. He couldn't help but look back to Anakin more frequently than he should have. The other jedi had situated himself behind a falling sheet of durasteel, shielded from blaster fire, but obviously on the decline.

  
The wind picked up around him and the tell-tale sound of engines signaled the arrival of the evac. He shut off both lightsabers, jumping out of the fray and sliding in beside Anakin.

  
"Hey," he said, gently brushing his fingers across Anakin's forehead. Anakin's head turned, but his eyes stayed closed. "Let's get you out of here," Obi-Wan said. "I'm going to have to pick you up. Brace yourself."

  
He wasn't sure if Anakin heard him, but he picked him up all the same. He was much heavier than he used to be, height adding weight. Obi-Wan was as careful as he could be of Anakin's shoulder, and he winced when Anakin whined in pain.

  
The lack of fight, or even response, from Anakin worried him. He'd been around him long enough to know that Anakin stopped for nothing. He was much like inertia, the only thing able to stop him being a greater, opposite action.

  
More time must have passed than Obi-Wan realized. That, or Anakin's injury was much worse than it first looked.

  
Or both, he thought, with no small amount of apprehension, as he stepped about the transport. The liftoff was jerky, the ship taking a few hits. Obi-Wan did his best to keep Anakin stable, and Anakin curled in towards him, shielding his shoulder and pressing against Obi-Wan's chest.

 

"...didn't know you could fight Jar'kai," Anakin mumbled. Obi-Wan startled.

  
"I'm full of surprises," he said, smile tight and short-lived. "I didn't realize you were awake."  
  


"'M awake," Anakin said, jerking his head in what was supposed to be a nod. "That was cool."   
  


It took Obi-Wan a moment to realize Anakin was talking about his fighting.   
  


"Teach me sometime?" Anakin asked.   
  


"Of course," Obi-Wan agreed, silencing the small voice that asked him,  _ would there be a next time _ ? Anakin's wound wasn't that bad, was it?   
  


"'M gonna rest now," Anakin announced. He turned his face into Obi-Wan's elbow, relaxing completely in his hold.   
  


"Ah, ah, ah," Obi-Wan said, shaking him just a little. "Not yet."   
  


"But 'm tired," Anakin mumbled, voice muffled in Obi-Wan's robe.   
  


"You can sleep when we get back to the ship," Obi-Wan told him. Anakin simply hummed and kept his eyes closed. Obi-Wan debated pushing it, but decided against it in favor of assessing Anakin's wound. Besides, he had opened their bond to more than it usually was; he would notice almost immediately if Anakin took a sharp decline.   
  


Obi-Wan gently shifted Anakin to get a better look at his shoulder. They had to be almost to the ship, but Obi-Wan wanted to know for sure what kind of state Anakin was in.   
  


He peeled the singed fabric away as carefully as he could, hesitating at every minute movement Anakin made. Once the torn robes were out of the way, he could see the wound much clearer. It's true size was obscured by the sticky, partially dried blood surrounding it, but it looked to be an average blaster wound. The skin around it was burnt and no doubt painful. Obi-Wan touched his fingers to it as lightly as possible, letting a little of the Force flow from him into Anakin to ease the pain. He wasn't a healer, and he didn't know much in the way of healing with the Force, but he knew how to dull the pain of others.   
  


Anakin sighed and let go of the rest of the tension in his body. Obi-Wan, satisfied that Anakin's shoulder wound had stopped bleeding for the most part, shifted his hands down along Anakin's body, using his Force signature to ease the pain. He paused over Anakin's side, brows creasing. The cloth felt wet beneath his fingertips.   
  


"Anakin," Obi-Wan called. He turned his hand towards him, but he couldn't tell if the blood in his fingers was from the shoulder or a possible second wound.   
"Anakin," Obi-Wan tried again. Anakin made a soft noise in his throat, but otherwise didn't acknowledge him.   
  


"Anakin," he said a third time. There was a frantic lilt in his voice now. "Did you get hit a second time?"   
  


"Huh?" Anakin asked, but it sounded more like a hum.   
  


"Did you get shot a second time?" he asked again. His tone was harsh with growing panic.   
  


"Maybe," Anakin muttered.   
  


"Anakin Skywalker!" he exclaimed. The sudden movement of his body upset Anakin's body and he flinched in pain. Obi-Wan quickly calmed himself and resituated Anakin, apologizing under his breath for the discomfort.   
  


"Hmm...yes, master?" Anakin replied eventually.   
  


"You can't keep things like this from me," Obi-Wan said softly. He began work on removing the robes in the way of the side wound. That fabric was still damp with blood, and Obi-Wan grimaced. Anakin's blood was nothing new, but the sheer amount caused a wave of panic to well up inside Obi-Wan.   
  


He uncovered the wound slowly, taking notice of the way the blood here wasn't sticky or dry. It was still shockingly warm, and the panic increased. If Anakin has lost this much blood already... Obi-Wan thought. His former padawan was in much greater danger than he had thought.   
  


  
The transport finally docked with the _Endeavor_. Obi-Wan was already on the way to the medical bay less than a minute after landing.   
  


"Stay with me, Anakin," he coaxed as he felt Anakin slipping further towards unconsciousness on the way through the halls.   
  


Someone must have alerted the medical staff that he was coming, because Attros Finn met them partway there.   
  


"Master Finn," Obi-Wan acknowledged, any shock of seeing the healer aboard ignored in favor of urgency.   
  


"What happened?" Finn asked.   
  


"Blaster shot to the shoulder. I've looked at it and it seems to be the usual injury. On the flight here I found a second, much more serious wound on his right flank."   
  


The healer said nothing, only shifting his gaze along Anakin's body.   
  


"Come quickly," he said after a pause, walking back towards the medical bay.   
  


Obi-Wan was beginning to really feel Anakin's weight, and he arrived a few moments after Finn. He was directed to a bed in the far corner, and gently laid Anakin on the clinical white sheets. He stepped back to give Attros room to work, but stayed close enough to watch the proceedings.   
  


Obi-Wan could tell by their bond that Anakin had lost consciousness. It was the weakest it had ever been, and Obi-Wan's brow creased in concentration. Instead of staying at the usual lull characteristic of unconsciousness, Anakin's Force signature seemed to be getting weaker.  _ Something is very wrong _ , his mind supplied. 

 

Just as he was about to voice his thoughts, there was an eruption of sound. Machines began beeping incessantly and several other healers and nurses rushed over to Anakin's bed. Obi-Wan couldn't make out their words, though. The commotion around him slowly faded as he pulled on the bond with Anakin, hoping to rise a response. When he received nothing at all in return, the panic came at him full force. There was suddenly a very real chance that Anakin would not recover from this.   
  


_ Stupid, stupid... _ His thoughts were a mess. If only Anakin had told him, if only he had noticed, if only he'd been faster, if only Anakin had been paying attention...   
  


There was no way he would let Anakin die, not like this. Not ever, he thought, and the fierce conviction behind it would've made his blood run cold on another day, but there wasn't time to debate with himself. Somewhere along the line, he'd formed a very real, very strong attachment to the lonely boy from Tatooine, and he'd be lying if he said it hadn't grown stronger as Anakin grew up. The galaxy knew them as an inseparable team, but few knew them as inseparable friends. A moment's thought of a world without Anakin was enough to send any reason out the window.   
  


Obi-Wan grasped at their bond, trying to get to Anakin through it. His flicker in the Force was growing fainter and fainter as Obi-Wan's fear mounted.   
  


The machine monitoring Anakin's pulse burst into sudden, unexpected sound, and Obi-Wan felt the loss of a life ripple through the Force like a tsunami. Attros stepped away from Anakin's bed with his head bowed as Obi-Wan's desperation grew to a fever pitch. There was an explosion of white light behind his eyes and he might have shouted as he reached out one more time to Anakin in a frantic attempt to bring him back. Darkness rushed in quickly, and he fell to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10 points to the house of whoever guesses where the name of their ship came from


	2. it ain't gonna stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank my amazing beta Alix for helping me with this monstrosity; I couldn't have gotten it done without you!  
> Here's the next bit... I'm hoping to post every day/every other day, schedule permitting.

Anakin came around to soft sheets and beeping sounds. He sighed and winced at the spike of dull pain in his side and slowly looked around. He was clearly back aboard the _Endeavor_ , in the medical bay. Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself up to sitting. His shoulder ached and his side throbbed. He remembered the arrival of the transport during the battle, but everything after that was fuzzy. His brow was creased in concentration when a healer he recognized as Attros Finn appeared beside his bed.  
  


"Good afternoon, General Skywalker," Finn said, checking the machines.  
  


"Is it?" Anakin asked, only half his attention on the conversation. He had a strange feeling when he awoke, and he recognized it now as coming from the bond with Obi-Wan.  
  


"It is," Finn confirmed. "Two days since you arrived, actually."  
  


"Two days!" The exclamation tugged at his side and he winced.  
  


"Your wounds were much more serious than we thought," Finn explained. He faced Anakin, suddenly stern. "You need to rest. Part of the problem was over-exhaustion. Your body simply cannot sustain that level of effort for as long as you like," he said, eyebrow raised in a way that made Anakin think of Obi-Wan. Speaking of...  
  


"Where's Obi-Wan?" he asked. Attros sighed, resigning himself to the knowledge that everything he said probably went straight out Anakin's other ear.  
  


"Master Kenobi is in the next room over," he said.  
  


"Why is he here?" Anakin asked. "In the medbay, I mean." Even as he spoke, he focused his attention on the faint presence of his old master in his mind. He searched for their bond and, finding it, opened it wider. He gasped and fell back onto the bed.  
  


"...eral Skywalker," Finn was calling him. Anakin blinked at him.  
  


"Are you alright?" he asked, checking some machine beside his head.  
  


"I need to see Obi-Wan," Anakin said instead of answering, pushing himself back up and swinging his legs down off the bed. The movement hurt, but the pain was dull.  
  


Master Finn bustled around Anakin, trying to keep him from moving any more than he already had.  
  


"General Skywalker, I strongly advise you to stay put, you're not nearly recovered enough for this kind of activity..."  
  


Anakin ignored his words, taking remarkably steady steps for someone in his condition. He reached the door with minimal effort. Before leaving he turned his head to the healer.  
  


"Sorry, there's just...something's...wrong, I think, and I need too..." Anakin tried to explain. Finn waved a hand at him with a put upon sigh, and Anakin left.  
  


He turned into the next room, finding Obi-Wan in a doze. Anakin got himself halfway across the room before the pain his his side flared, and he struggled the rest of the way before sagging onto the bed beside he sleeping friend. He heaved himself up on the empty side, sighing as he laid back and took the stress off his injuries.  
  


He watched Obi-Wan silently for a moment, noting how despite the smoothed, calm expression on his face, he still looked worn and exhausted. Possessed by an odd urge to touch, Anakin used his good arm to reach up and trace Obi-Wan's hairline. The moment his fingertips make contact, though, it was like a bolt of lightning. Anakin jerked back, unconscious of his injuries, and Obi-Wan's eyes shot open.  
  


A sudden rush of emotions followed the jolt like a wave. Anakin gaped as a flood of emotions that weren't his own overwhelmed him. Nearly crippling self doubt was quickly paired with immense sadness, leaving Anakin gasping under the unexpected weight. As he watched Obi-Wan's gaze come into focus and recognition dawn, a rush of staggering affection overtook him.  
  


A frown creased Obi-Wan's forehead as he regarded Anakin. Anakin's emotions were much stronger than they usually were. The typical uneasiness and instability were there, but new feelings like doubt and fear clouded Obi-Wan's mind.  
  


"Anakin..." he started, voice quiet and rough. He reached out to run a gentle hand down Anakin's arm, but his old padawan flinched away from the touch.  
  


"Anakin?" The last vestiges of sleep left him entirely, and confusion and concern colored his tone. Anakin squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head slightly. Obi-Wan's hand stayed frozen in the air between them as he carefully observed Anakin's expression.  
  


"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked, near a whisper. Anakin took a deep breath.  
  


"I touched you and it was like...an explosion of emotions," Anakin said. Obi-Wan watched the pieces fall together in Anakin's head. "They're your emotions!"  
  


"I'm afraid I don't understand," Obi-Wan shook his head. "Why aren't you in your room?" He figured that was an easy enough place to start.  
  


Anakin flushed a little, and Obi-Wan felt the equal parts of embarrassment and conviction more strongly than normal. He kept his curiosity to himself.  
  


"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Anakin shrugged slightly. "There was a weird feeling."  
  


"And then what happened? You touched my forehead and then..." Obi-Wan guided him through the conversation, as he still looked to be lost in his head a little.  
  


"There was just a sudden rush of emotions," Anakin said. "I must have opened up the bond too much."  
  


Obi-Wan stayed silent for some time. He examined his own thoughts and thought over the events he could remember from before waking up. An explanation was beginning to take shape, but it wasn't one he wanted.  
  


"I doubt it," he replied eventually. Anakin had dozed off, and he blinked his eyes back open at Obi-Wan's words. "This time, I think it's my fault."  
  


"How is it your fault?" Anakin asked, but a yawn interrupted his words halfway through. Exhaustion and pain that weren't his own rolled through him, and he shook his head in a fond sort of exasperation. He gently pushed Anakin's head back onto the pillow and made sure the injuries on his side and shoulder were resting well.  
  


"I'll explain after you rest," he said softly. Anakin made a sound that could've been one of consent or disagreement, but his eyes didn't open again. Obi-Wan watched the lines smooth out on Anakin's face as he fell asleep, felt the calmness of his sleep wash over him. His fingers played with a curl on a wayward piece of Anakin's hair as he slowly found himself drifting back towards unconsciousness as well, for now ignoring their new situation and its suspected cause.


	3. don't fool yourself, this is my truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long! beta issues and graduation and all that crazy stuff. I only quickly scanned over this chapter, so if there's any mistakes that's my fault. anyway, enjoy, and sorry about the wait!

Obi-Wan blinked awake slowly this time. He felt Anakin's presence immediately, both physically and mentally. Soft hair brushed underneath his chin and he laughed quietly. Anakin had pressed into his space during sleep, fitting his head near Obi-Wan's chest in an attempt at gathering warmth. He ran light fingers through Anakin's hair with a sigh, thoughts turning to this predicament he seemed to have gotten them into. Anakin's Force present felt nearly ten times as strong as it normally did, and Obi-Wan wondered if it was similar the other way.  


Obi-Wan's musings were interrupted, however, by the nearly silent sound of the doors sliding open. Attros entered the room, a medical droid close behind.  


"Good morning," Attros greeted, tilting his head in the bed's direction. Obi-Wan simply hummed.  


"You're looking much healthier," Attros told him. "I'm much happier with your numbers now. However, you still need more sleep. Exhaustion is affecting your energy levels."

Obi-Wan nodded, eyes on Anakin's dozing figure the whole time. He had little desire to break the atmospheric bubble around the medical bed. Attros turned to him then, bringing Obi-Wan's gaze to him.  


"We have just arrived on Coruscant. I'd like to relocate General Skywalker to the Temple's facilities."  


"Of course," Obi-Wan agreed. He slid off the bed, careful not to disturb Anakin, and followed Attros out the door.  


"There is something off..." Attros mused aloud in the hallway. Obi-Wan regarded him with mild curiosity and a raised brow.  


"Nothing dangerous," Attros quickly assured him. "Just...something. I'm not sure what it is, though I doubt it has a large impact on either of your health levels. I find it rather intriguing, actually. "  


"Well, I'd be pleased to find out what's so intriguing once you figure it out," Obi-Wan told him. They had reached the back port on the ship. Attros stopped and Obi-Wan turned to him.  


"Thank you," he said simply. Attros seemed to understand what he didn't say.  


"It is my duty," he shrugged. "I am glad we were able to save General Skywalker."  


"Me too," Obi-Wan agreed, sounding far away in thought. He bowed slightly to the healer before weaving his way out of the ship and into the Coruscanti hanger.  


  
Obi-Wan found Anakin in the Temple's healer's wing later that afternoon. His friend seemed much better than the day before; significant color had returned to his face and he was sitting and moving much easier.  


"Your recovery seems to be on a remarkably speedy track," Obi-Wan remarked as he entered the room. Anakin smiled up at him over his cup of tea.  


"I can't say I'm complaining," he said, taking a sip of the steaming liquid. He made a face in distaste, swallowing the medicated tea with a grimace.  


"Though it does seem odd to me," he added. The look Anakin leveled at Obi-Wan then was pointed. Obi-Wan sighed and leaned back further into his chair. He felt Anakin's gaze on him remain steady. "What aren't you telling me?" he asked.  


"I'm...not entirely sure, myself," Obi-Wan admitted. Anakin didn't look appeased by that response. "Something happened when we got back to the ship, after your...injuries." When he shifted his gaze to Anakin, he still looked like he was waiting for more. "I'd prefer not to talk about this here."  


Anakin felt Obi-Wan's discomfort and confusion and so he let the subject drop at that, but his own confusion hadn't lessened in the least.  


 

  
Obi-Wan returned to his quarters late that night, exhaustion from the many nights of bad sleep on Jabiim combining with the usual taxing task of meeting with the Council. They hadn't been happy that he and Anakin had returned so soon, but an injury as severe as Anakin's demanded acknowledgement and they grudgingly allowed a stay of yet-indeterminate length for them both.  


However, instead of finding relaxation in his rooms, he found Anakin lounging on the sofa, still bandaged, but looking for all the world like everything was fine.  


"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan let his bewilderment and irritation seep into their bond. Anakin didn't bother looking sheepish.  


"I was bored," he said. He didn't look up from the pad in his hand. "Besides," he added, rolling his head around to meet Obi-Wan's gaze, "they said I'm fine."  


"Fine!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, incredulous. "Only you!"  


He ignored his old padawan and made his way angrily to the kitchen, beginning the preparations for a cup of tea before changing his mind and searching for a glass of alcohol.  


Anakin smirked to himself, proud to have avoided the lecture he expected, but his expression quickly shifted with the mixture of emotions pouring off his master. It was still very strange to be able to feel so much from him, but Anakin didn't ignore it. Instead, he pushed himself off the couch, wincing slightly at the protest of his sore muscles, and followed Obi-Wan into the the next room.  


"What's wrong?" he asked, resting his hip against the counter top beside Obi-Wan. There was no response, only the steady roll of frustration and mild anger.  


"Master?"  


Obi-Wan still hadn't even acknowledged his presence. Anakin was beginning to feel apprehensive. He wondered what he might have done or said to put his friend in such a mood. He tried again after a long pause.  


"Obi-Wan?"  


This time there was a response. Obi-Wan whirled on him, eyes lit with anger. Anakin would have recoiled if he couldn't already feel the emotion so strongly.  


"What's wrong, Anakin?" he began, nearly spitting the words. "I'll tell you what's wrong. My padawan, my best friend, gets severely injured in battle and doesn't bother to inform me of the extent of his injuries, and when we're finally back to safety, he chooses to wander about the Temple instead of staying with those who can help him heal!"  


"This is hardly the first time I skipped out on the Healers' Wing," Anakin stated. "Why is it bothering you so much?"  


"It's dangerous! You know just as well as I do that you're not ready to be moving around like this."  


"But I feel fine! What's wrong with staying here instead of staying with the healers?"  


"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that they're prepared to treat your injuries!"  


"Why are you so worked up about this?" Anakin nearly shouted, temper rising along with his master's.  


"Perhaps I want you to actually put some effort into yourself for once! Maybe I wanted you to make a full recovery before you go and throw yourself back into the fight, like always!"  


"Why now?" Anakin shot back. Their voices ricocheted around the room, amplifying their argument. "You've never had much of a problem with it before!"  


"Oh, trust me, Anakin, I've _always_ had a problem with it."  


"Why didn't you ever say anything, then?"  


"Do you think I didn't?" The scoff that followed was nearly violent. "You just never listen to anything I say!"  


Anakin was in too deep now to think about his words before they came out of his mouth. "Maybe if you told me more than the Code bullshit, I'd listen!"  


"If that's what you think, why are you still here? Why even bother?"  


Obi-Wan had never been so angry in his life. It felt like there was a fire coursing through his veins, burning him up and keeping him going at the same time.  


"What if I just wanted you to listen to _me_ sometimes? You never actually care about _me_ . Or anything!"  


"Is that what you really think?"  


"Obi-Wan Kenobi, the perfect, emotionless jedi," Anakin spat.  


"Emotionless?" Obi-Wan had to search for the words to express what he felt. "You don't know a thing about me!"  


"What's there to know? You've never lived! You've never cared about anyone, you've never cried, you've never _loved_ !"  


"How dare you!" Obi-Wan's voice was thunderous. The sudden rush of emotions felt like a punch to the gut and Anakin stumbled back.  


"You have no right!" His words were sharp and full of a scorching anger. "Do you really pay so little attention? For God's sake, you can feel all of my emotions, and you still think I have none!"  


"What happened?" Anakin yelled. It was a desperate kind of shouted plea, like trying to get above the waves in a violent hurricane. "Why can I feel your emotions? Why are you so _angry_ ?"  


Obi-Wan returned his shouts in an equally desperate tone.  


"Because you **died**!"  


The room fell silent. Obi-Wan could feel his words echoing through his mind as loudly as if they were echoing around the room. Anakin snapped his mouth shut and looked at him.  


"What are you saying?" Anakin asked, soft voice sounding like a whisper compared to the shouting before.  


Obi-Wan rubbed a hand over his face and sighed, a bone-weary sound from the soul.  
"I'm saying you died. I'm saying I didn't get you back in time. I watched you die and there was nothing I could _do_ -" He broke off suddenly, swallowing whatever words would've come next. The breath he drew was shaky.  


"Then how am I alive?" Anakin had taken a step towards Obi-Wan, albeit a cautious one, as if approaching an animal easily spooked.  


"I..." Obi-Wan sighed again. His shoulders slumped. "I don't know."  


Anakin, in a sudden flash of reality, could see how very young Obi-Wan was. Anakin often forgot how much he had been through in so few years. His thoughts turned to his comments before and he suppressed a wince.  


"That's why I can feel what you feel, isn't it?"  


"Yes."  


A great fatigue rolled over Anakin, then, and it took him a moment to realize it was Obi-Wan's and not his own. He thought of a dozen things he could say, each a little worse than the last, before he decided to hold his tongue for once.  


Silently, Anakin guided Obi-Wan to the sofa in the main room, gently pushing him down onto the cushions. Obi-Wan nearly melted into the couch, a sort of dazed look coming over him. Anakin sank onto the cushion beside him, straight back and clasped hands a stark contrast to the sprawled form of his old master.  


The light from the sun outside had steadily faded into the rich red tones of sunset by the time either of them spoke again.  


“I have loved, you know,” Obi-Wan said. His voice was rough, no doubt from shouting, but soft in the quiet of the room. Anakin turned to look at him, finding expressive green eyes fixed on him. “Too much."  


Anakin’s eyes widened. “How can you love too much?” he blurted, surprise at Obi-Wan’s confession incapacitating his filter.  


“It is easy for me, I’m afraid,” Obi-Wan replied. He sounded calm and nearly detached, but Anakin knew his voice well enough to pick up on the underlying tenseness. “I can understand why you think I have never, though,” he continued. “I try my best not to, now.” A fast, vicious wave of soul-crushing sadness overwhelmed Anakin, and he fell back onto the cushions. He gasped as the feeling disappeared, finding the ability to lift his chest again.  


“Sorry,” Obi-Wan mumbled. He closed his eyes and rolled his head back to face the ceiling.  


Anakin gathered himself as quickly as he could. “No, no, no,” he said, shifting closer to Obi-Wan. “You can’t say that, I can’t feel that, and then just _stop_."  


“What do you want me to say?” Obi-Wan asked, peering at his old padawan through a squinted eye.  


Anakin stared back, determined now. He hadn’t had a glimpse of Obi-Wan’s past like this before, and he searched for the right thing to ask.  


“Tell me why."  


"There was...a duchess, once." The way he said the title sounded like a caress and Anakin's heart ached. "She was beautiful, smart, ambitious, brave...perfect."  


There was such sorrow in his voice as he said the last word that Anakin found himself afraid to ask why it was past tense. After everything, being able to feel everything Obi-Wan does, he couldn't say he was surprised at the depth of feeling in those few words.  


"I watched her die."  


Anakin nearly choked, but Obi-Wan kept going.  


"It was my fault, and I promised myself I wouldn't love again because the complete destruction a lost love caused me was crippling."  


For a moment Anakin wondered if Obi-Wan realized the emotions he was sharing with him. He doubted it; the jedi master looked far away in memory. Anakin had never felt anything like this before. It was a bone-deep ache, impossible to shake. He doubted the world weighed as heavy.  


"But, of course, that didn't last. Qui-Gon ruined that for me."  


"You were in love with Qui-Gon?" Anakin couldn't help but ask.  


"No," Obi-Wan replied. "I loved him with my entire being, though. Maybe someday I would have loved him like that. I don't know."  


He paused and a new wave of feelings crashed into Anakin, these painful in a oppressively lonely and an almost angry way.  


"I doubt he would have ever returned the feelings, if it had come to that. We were rarely on the best of terms."  


Obi-Wan fell silent. Anakin was left reeling, trying to find his footing again after learning so much about his old master and experiencing such heavy, aching emotions.  


Breathing finally normal and feelings stabilized, Anakin thought about bringing up himself. He shook his head, though, and remained silent, instead letting as much comfort and security as he could slowly seep through their bond. Anakin watched Obi-Wan sink back into the sofa, satisfied that his emotional transfer had some success.  


Until Obi-Wan jerked forwards, eyes shot open and forehead creased with worry.  


"Oh, Anakin, I'm so sorry," he said, reaching out for Anakin before changing his mind and letting his hand fall to the cushion between them.  


"For what? I'm glad you told me. I want to know you better," Anakin told him, confused.  


"No, the bond. I forgot about the bond." Obi-Wan's eyes closed as he let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that.”  


“Is that really what you feel?” Anakin sounded almost awed. “I can’t believe I thought you didn’t have emotions.” The last part was more a comment to himself.  


“Sometimes, it’s easier to pretend I don’t.”  


Obi-Wan looked so exhausted in that moment that Anakin couldn’t help but wonder how he made it through every day. In a split second decision, Anakin fell forward, head falling onto Obi-Wan’s chest and arms wrapping around his torso.  


Obi-Wan startled beneath him, jerking forwards before settling back again. To Anakin's surprise, Obi-Wan shifted, turning to the side to pull Anakin on top of him. He rested his face on the top of Anakin's hair, arms tight around him, breathing slow. Anakin adapted quickly, carefully letting more of his weight rest on Obi-Wan. When it didn't seem to both him, Anakin rested entirely on Obi-Wan, arms between his back and the sofa. It was the safest Anakin had felt since he was a child, wrapped up in the security of another's stronger arms. He let his contentment and peace flow through the Force and into their bond in an attempt to ease Obi-Wan's still-turbulent emotions.  


There was still a bitter taste in Anakin's mouth, leftover anger with himself at his words and his insensitivity. It had never been clearer to him just how much his old master had gone through, but he couldn't believe how he didn't see it before.  


"You're thinking much too loud," Obi-Wan mumbled a time later. Anakin pulled his head back to look at him in surprise. Obi-Wan's eyes remained closed and his features calm. A hand shifted to the back of his head and pushed him back down, carding through his hair in gentle, soothing motions. "Just sleep. I apologize for yelling. I forgive you for shouting. Now close your eyes."  


One eye opened to peek down at Anakin. "Close your mind, too." The familiar fond amusement that Anakin could notice so much better now colored his tone and their bond.  


Anakin obligingly shut his eyes and leveled his breathing. He didn't bother with the mental shields, instead clearing his mind from all thoughts. Obi-Wan traced small circles on the back of his robes until he fell asleep, Anakin not far behind him.  



	4. comfortable as rain on sundays

A sharp jolt of fear pulled Anakin out of sleep. He jerked back, hands pushing him into a sitting position before he remembered his bed was, in fact, another person. He lowered himself gently back down, careful of Obi-Wan. Closing his eyes again, he searched through the Force around the room for the disturbance that woke him. Obi-Wan's Force signature was dark and twisted, and as another jolt of the fear from before shook him, Anakin realized it was coming from his old master. Anakin pushed away his curiosity at their mysterious new bond and instead focused on waking Obi-Wan. It must be a nightmare, he thought, debating what way to go about it. He settled with sitting back on his heels, wrapping his hands around Obi-Wan's shoulders and shaking. When gentle motions did nothing, Anakin gave him one sharp shake.   
  


Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open and he stared up at Anakin, dazed.   
  


"Anakin?" he asked, voice sleep-rough.   
  


Anakin rubbed his thumbs lightly over Obi-Wan's collarbone. He adjusted himself again, shifting a hand to the couch beside Obi-Wan and laying over top of him, being careful not to use his injured arm. "It's me," he replied softly. Obi-Wan blinked several times, sleep cleaning from his vision.   
  


"I didn't...you weren't..."   
  


Obi-Wan's hand came up and wrapped around one the one still against his shoulder. Anakin looked down at the other Jedi in mild surprise. He'd never seen him like this. Thinking on it, the past couple days had given Anakin a glimpse of Obi-Wan that he had never seen before. It was shocking to see the Order's strongest Jedi in such a state of open emotional distress.   
  


"I'm right here," Anakin said. Obi-Wan nodded, eyes distracted. His hand remained tightly around Anakin's wrist, and Anakin held himself up until his elbow ached.   
  


"Are you okay?" he asked after a while, keeping his soft tone.   
  


"I...yes," Obi-Wan replied. The far-away look was steadily leaving his gaze, but Anakin wanted to be sure.   
  


"You're not just saying that, are you?" He gently pushed at the new connection as he spoke. The jumbled mess of emotions that hit him knocked him off balance and he fell off his arm and onto Obi-Wan's chest, who let out a puff of air in surprise.   
  


"Sorry, sorry," Anakin apologized.   
  


"It's fine. My fault, really. The bond..." Obi-Wan sounded frustrated, nearly to the point of anger. Anakin couldn't have that.   
  


"I don't mind," Anakin told him. "Feeling your emotions, I mean."   
  


"You should," Obi-Wan replied. "They're a mess, especially lately, and you shouldn't have to deal with that."   
  


Anakin hadn't heard such a tone if self-loathing from the other Jedi before. He pressed himself down onto Obi-Wan, making the other look up at him.   
  


"Look," Anakin started. "Whatever this is, we're in it together. You might as well get used to feeling things, because I've never been able to ignore my emotions. Yours are clearly a mess, so let me help you. We can work with this."   
  


Obi-Wan nodded slowly. “Okay,” he agreed. Anakin’s smile was as bright as the early morning sunlight pouring into the room. “Okay,” he repeated, a small smile on his face now as well.   
  


Obi-Wan was about to push at Anakin so he could get up, but his old padawan’s face became suddenly serious, and so he sat still, waiting for Anakin to speak.   
  


“About…last night,” Anakin began. Obi-Wan suppressed a sigh. He would rather forget about that argument. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m here to help you. You don’t have to hide yourself from me.”    
  


Obi-Wan’s smile this time was a sad one. For a moment, Anakin regretted bringing back up the painful memories from their discussion, but he needed Obi-Wan to know that they were in this together.   
  


“Oh, Anakin.” Obi-Wan’s fingers were warm where they brushed his cheekbone. “I know you are. I’m not trying to hide."   
  


Anakin looked confused. “Then what…?”   
  


Obi-Wan’s eyes closed and his hand fell from Anakin’s face. “It’s a way to protect myself, I suppose. Everyone I’ve loved, I’ve lost.”   
  


“Except me,” Anakin added. To him, it sounded more like a question, but he hoped Obi-Wan heard it as the reassuring statement he meant it to be.    
  


“Except you,” Obi-Wan agreed, and that sad smile was back, this time accompanied by a sadness that left Anakin’s chest tight. He wanted nothing more than to be able to prevent Obi-Wan from feeling like that ever again.   
  


“I’m terrified of losing you,” Obi-Wan admitted. “But if I pretend that I’m not, I guess I think it’ll hurt less.”   
  


“You won’t,” Anakin said. There was something almost fierce about the way he said it. “You won’t lose me.”   
  


When Obi-Wan looked up at him skeptically, Anakin continued. “You won’t get rid of me that easily.”   
  


“Good,” Obi-Wan replied. Soft waves of relief and fondness flowed through their bond. Anakin found himself staring, gaze switching from one of Obi-Wan’s eyes to the other. He let himself fall slowly, maintaining eye contact with Obi-Wan until their lips touched. Anakin’s eyes closed as he gently, slowly moved his lips. He felt Obi-Wan’s eyelashes flutter against his cheek and then he was kissing him back, slowly and deeply, the satisfaction ringing through their bond only adding to the feeling. Obi-Wan’s tongue running across the edge of his lower lip was easily the most sensual thing Anakin had ever experienced, and he was about to open his mouth when a knock at the door sent them both tumbling to the floor.   
  


They struggled on the floor for a moment, stepping on robes and accidentally pulling hair. Anakin eventually found his footing, jumping up and yanking on his robes in an attempt to de-wrinkle them. Obi-Wan stood up beside him, looking at his own robes and Anakin’s and shaking his head. Anakin gave up on his own clothes and smoothed his hands down the front of Obi-Wan’s. Obi-Wan caught Anakin’s hands with a smile.   
  


“Go answer the door,” he said quietly. “Whoever’s on the other side is no doubt wondering where we are.”   
  


His statement was followed by another knock.   
  


“You go change. I can pass with wrinkled robes,” Anakin said, a slight smirk on his face at the end of his sentence. Obi-Wan smiled as he shook his head and hurried away to change as quickly as he could.   
  


Anakin pulled the door open a little too enthusiastically. Ki-Adi-Mundi stood outside, looking rather irritated.   
  


“Master Mundi!” Anakin said. He hoped it was loud enough for Obi-Wan to hear. “Come on in.” He stepped to the side and gestured towards the open room. Mundi gave him an odd look as he entered the room.   
  


“Ah, Master Mundi.” Obi-Wan announced his entrance just as things were starting to get awkward with Mundi and Anakin. Obi-Wan looked to Anakin for just a moment, fond exasperation flowing gently through their bond. Anakin ducked his head and left the room for the kitchen.   
  


“Are you aware of the time?” Mundi asked.   
  


“Ah…yes,” Obi-Wan replied. Anakin suppressed a snigger from where he was making tea.   
  


“Where have you been, then? Class was supposed to begin nearly half an hour ago!” Mundi sounded harried. Obi-Wan's students must have been a handful.   
  


“Yes, of course, I’m very sorry,” Obi-Wan apologized. Mundi didn’t look convinced. “Anakin and I had a brief run-in with the sofa.”   
  


_ Well, he’s not wrong _ , Anakin thought, chuckling softly. He wished he could see Mundi’s face. It was certainly a unique excuse.   
  


"Right," Mundi said, nodding once and sounding more than skeptical. "If I could impose upon you to get to your job..."   
  


"Yes, yes, of course," Obi-Wan agreed. Anakin felt Obi-Wan's mild embarrassment through their bond. In an instant he was struck with an idea, but Obi-Wan must have felt it, because he suddenly cleared his throat, much louder than necessary.   
  


"I'll be right on my way," Obi-Wan told Mundi, gently herding the other Jedi towards the door. "I'm terribly sorry, thank you for coming to get me, I'll be there in just a moment."   
  


The door closed on Mundi's suspicious expression and Obi-Wan sighed, resting against the door. Anakin appeared from the kitchen, not attempting to hide his pleased smirk at Obi-Wan's flushed face.   
  


Obi-Wan’s gaze fixed on Anakin as soon as he felt his force presence in the room.   
  


"You!" he shouted, though the fondness overwhelming their bond ruined any serious reprimand Obi-Wan had intended. Anakin approached him with a grin.   
  


“Me,” he agreed. Obi-Wan would’ve described Anakin’s walk as a saunter, something slightly predatory shining in his eyes.   
  


“You’re horribly distracting,” Obi-Wan said, hands coming to rest on Anakin’s waist with less than half a thought. He rubbed his thumb subconsciously along the line of his bandage.   
  


“What else is new?” Anakin asked. He leaned in close enough so their noses brushed. Obi-Wan met him halfway, lips a ghost of a touch.   
  


“Your class,” he whispered before slipping out from underneath Anakin’s arm with a laugh. Anakin whirled around.   
  


“Obi-Wan!” he shouted, sounding equal parts offended and amused.   
  


“First day of class and you’re going to be late,” Obi-Wan called from the next room. Realization set in with a panic.   
  


“Oh, Force,” Anakin muttered, pushing himself off the door and rushing to his room to throw on fresh robes. When he reemerged, Obi-Wan was waiting for him by the door.   
  


“Enjoy your day,” he said, a teasing tone accompanying his pleased expression.   
  


“You’re a tease,” Anakin replied. He stopped in front of him and, cupping the back of his head to keep him from moving, kissed him as passionately as he could manage. Anakin pulled away quickly, leaving Obi-Wan flushed and sputtering.   
  


“Who’s the tease now?” he managed. Anakin only grinned.   
  


“You better go, don’t want to be late,” he said. “Well,” he added. “Any later than you already are.”   
  


Obi-Wan pushed at his shoulder. The playfulness in his eyes disappeared as he remembered Anakin’s wraps. He shifted, using his other hand to trace where he knew the bandages were.   
  


“Be careful,” he said. Anakin nodded, watching the other Jedi carefully. Obi-Wan looked up, meeting his gaze for only a moment, and then vanished through the door, leaving behind the bitter taste of regret in their bond.   
  


Anakin shook his head and left the room, the thought of arriving late to his first day of teaching replacing any curiosity at Obi-Wan’s parting.


	5. when the morning light comes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so bad at maintaining a schedule, sorry guys! anyway, i've gotten some beta work done on it (yay! thanks @aristotlesaesthetic ily). i'll try to get better at posting - anyway, enjoy!

Anakin didn’t bump into Obi-Wan again until much later that day.   
  


“How was your class?” Obi-Wan asked.   
  


“Surprisingly good, all things considered,” Anakin replied.   
  


“I don’t doubt Windu would have chosen a difficult bunch for you,” Obi-Wan chuckled to himself.   
  


“Oh, ha-ha. It’s just a temporary thing, anyway, until we leave again.”   
  


“Sure it is,” Obi-Wan agreed, though his tone suggested he thought the opposite.   
  


“It is!” Anakin defended. “I don’t think I could deal with teaching the younglings lightsaber forms every day. I don’t know how you do it.”   
  


“I happen to like teaching,” Obi-Wan said. “It’s relaxing.”   
  


“Because nothing says relaxation like showing younglings how to meditate.”   
  


“It’s not as bad as you think. It’ll grow on you,” Obi-Wan told him, swaying into Anakin’s side and bumping into him.   
  


“You know what a better way to relax is?” Anakin asked, striving for suggestive. Obi-Wan groaned.   
  


“Please don’t,” he said. “You’re just embarrassing yourself.”   
  


“What, you don’t think I can be seductive?” The eyebrow motion that accompanied his words proved Obi-Wan’s point even further. He just gave Anakin a look of disapproval.   
  


Anakin seemed mildly offended. “Fine! I’ll just prove you wrong.”   
  


“By all means,” Obi-Wan agreed. “I would love to see something besides a messy, clumsy twenty-something that lounges around on every piece of furniture like a bed.”   
  


“Hey, that’s insulting!"   
  


Obi-Wan just raised an eyebrow and turned towards his next engagement. “Get back to work, Anakin.”   
  


“Yes, Master,” Anakin muttered to himself as he walked to the library to begin the long and boring task of sorting information.   
  


  
Obi-Wan was already in their quarters when Anakin arrived. He was worn out; the kids had been more energetic than he had expected, and his injuries had started the flare up. He didn't want to admit that to Obi-Wan, though. He'd never hear the end of it.  
  


"So," Obi-Wan called from the kitchen. "Would you like me to prepare you a cup of the medicinal tea the healers instructed you to drink?"   
  


Anakin joined him with a sheepish expression.   
  


"You felt that?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck subconsciously.   
  


Obi-Wan looked up from the dishes on the counter to give Anakin a small smile.   
  


"I'm afraid you won't be able to hide very many things from me anymore," he told him. Then he frowned. "It calls into question the amount of times you've hidden injuries from me before."   
  


"It hasn't just been injuries," Anakin muttered.   
  


"Other things, another time," Obi-Wan waved his hand. "But I do want you to know that you shouldn't feel like you should hide things from me. I'm always here to help you, Anakin. I'm not going to yell at you if you hurt yourself."    
  


"Um, actually," Anakin began.   
  


"Okay, okay," Obi-Wan conceited. "But I'll never be mad at you. I just don't want you to suffer."   
  


Anakin only nodded. He sat on one of the stools opposite the counter of Obi-Wan and took the tea Obi-Wan slid in his direction with a mixture of gratitude and disdain. The tea tasted horrible, but it was the greatest pain reliever Anakin had ever had.   
  


Obi-Wan sipped his tea and regarded Anakin with a look he couldn't decipher.   
  


"I meant to come home and seduce you," Anakin admitted. Obi-Wan snorted.   
  


"Sure," he chuckled.   
  


"No, really," Anakin insisted.   
  


"I have a hard time seeing you as seductive," Obi-Wan said.   
  


"I feel like I should be offended," Anakin replied.   
  


"Don't take it personally. I just know you well enough to see you as a gangly jokester instead of the tall, dark, and handsome figure half the beings we work with seems to see you as."   
  


"Oh?" Anakin quirked an eyebrow. Challenge accepted, he thought. Obi-Wan must have felt something through their bond because a look akin to concern flashed briefly across his face. "You don't see me as the tall, dark, and handsome man of your dreams?"   
  


"I see you as the injured, hurting, and exhausted man of my dreams," Obi-Wan told him. He had abandoned his tea on the counter and walked around to Anakin's stool. He ran his fingers through Anakin's hair and Anakin rested his forehead against Obi-Wan's chest.   
  


"You can seduce me later," Obi-Wan said softly. "For now I think we should get you to bed."   
  


Anakin nodded against his shirt. Obi-Wan wrapped an arm around his shoulders and hauled him up.   
  


"Let's go, off to bed."   
  


Anakin leaned on Obi-Wan as they walked, exhaustion catching up with him and combining with the drowsy medication. Once in Anakin's room, Obi-Wan pulled off his robes and shoes, leaving him in the soft pants of the Temple robes. He pushed him onto the bed and pulled the covers over him, running a hand through his hair one more time.   
  


Anakin's metal hand caught his wrist as he turned to leave. He pulled Obi-Wan back to him, pressing a kiss to his palm before propping himself up on the elbow of his uninjured arm and pulling Obi-Wan down to press a kiss to his lips. It was a slow and chaste kiss, a simple movement of lips together. Obi-Wan's hand came down on the bed to support himself as he kissed Anakin back, full of the delicate care Anakin had come to associate strongly with him.   
  


"Stay," Anakin whispered against his lips. Obi-Wan's breath caught for but a moment. He pulled away slightly, eyes searching Anakin's. A sleepy sort of love seeped into their bond and Obi-Wan felt his heart skip a beat. He tried to tell himself that this wasn't what he intended, that he should leave so Anakin could rest well, but he couldn't deny himself the look on Anakin's face or the feelings he was sending through their bond.   
  


"Okay," he agreed softly. Anakin shifted over and Obi-Wan toed off his boots before slipping underneath the covers beside his old padawan. Anakin was on him in an instant, full body pressed up against Obi-Wan's. He was further down the bed than Obi-Wan, forcing him to, for once, look up to see his face. He leaned up with the intent of kissing him again. Obi-Wan must have understood his intent because he met him halfway, mouths moving together in slow and sleepy kissed.   
  


"Sleep," Obi-Wan commanded, voice nearly silent in the quiet room, mouth brushing Anakin's. Anakin hummed in agreement and buried his head under Obi-Wan's chin, injured arm laying across Obi-Wan's side as a foreign but comforting weight. He was fast asleep, and Obi-Wan rubbed his fingers down his spine as he drifted into subconsciousness.   
  


  
Obi-Wan woke before Anakin. His day started with the sunrise, most of the time. He crept silently out of Anakin's room and headed to his, changing into the usual casual Temple robes. He then proceeded to the kitchen, where he began preparing a breakfast for himself and Anakin, making tea and warming toast. The mornings held a sort of calm he could rarely find at any other time, and he enjoyed soaking in the early sunlight.  
  


Anakin appeared in the doorway of the kitchen much earlier than he expected. He was bleary-eyed and swaying, clearly not entirely awake. He stumbled into the kitchen and landed in one of the chairs, blinking up at Obi-Wan.   
  


“You get up way too early,” he announced. Half the words were slurred together and Obi-Wan hid his smile behind his cup of tea.   
  


“I’m terribly sorry,” he said, not meaning it in the least.   
  


“This is the fourth day in a row you’ve woken me up early,” Anakin told him. “All your…happiness in the morning. Wakes me up. It’s distracting.”   
Obi-Wan put his cup down. He wasn’t expecting that.   
  


“What do you mean?”   
  


“I can feel it,” Anakin said as though Obi-Wan should already know this. “The bond, remember?”   
  


“I didn’t realize you could feel it so strongly while you were sleeping,” Obi-Wan mused. He carried a cup of cocoa over to Anakin, who wrapped cool fingers around it gratefully.   
  


“S’not bad,” Anakin shrugged. “I like knowing you're happy.” He frowned. “Though I would like to sleep in. We’re not all weird like you.”   
  


“Plenty of people get up before noon, Anakin,” Obi-Wan replied nearly reflexively. They had had this conversation an innumerable amount of times.   
  


“M’not ‘plenty of people,’” he pouted. Obi-Wan bent to press a kiss to the top of his hair as he crossed the room.   
  


“We’ll try and work on shields later today if you like,” he suggested before stepping out onto their small balcony to absorb the warm sunlight.   
  


Anakin followed him out. As the sunlight seeped into his skin, he hummed. The sun on Coruscant was a much more pleasant one than Tatooine's two. It was warm without being hot, warming Anakin from the outside in much like his cup of cocoa warmed him from the inside. 

 

He joined Obi-Wan at the railing, watching his face as his old master looked out at the waking city. The light turned his hair a fiery orange, and Anakin allowed himself to admire. He'd been growing it out, Anakin noticed. It looked nice. A part of him wondered what Obi-Wan would look like if he shaved; another part wanted to ask him to. But he kept his mouth shut and continued to let his gaze wander.   
  


Obi-Wan was already dressed for the day, Anakin observed with slight disappointment. He wanted to see Obi-Wan fresh out of bed in wrinkled pajamas and messy hair. That particular image causes a flood of warm affection to wash over him and into their bond.   
Obi-Wan looked over at him, then. His gentle smile faded at Anakin's look of intense concentration.   
  


"What is it?" he asked quietly, nearly disappointed to have to break the comforting silence.   
  


Anakin didn't answer for a while, blue eyes flicking across to various places. Obi-Wan had turned back to the city, accepting that he wouldn't get a response from Anakin.   
  


"You're so beautiful."   
  


Obi-Wan sputtered and whirled around to face Anakin.   
  


"Excuse me?" he said, voice uncharacteristically high.   
  


"You're just...you're so beautiful."   
  


Anakin's expression was still intense, but his words were soft, and there was a gentle kind of love curling around their bond.   
  


"I..." Obi-Wan looked away, embarrassed. "Thank you."   
  


It didn't feel like the right response, but he didn't know what else to say.   
  


"How are you feeling this morning?" Obi-Wan asked, not necessarily wanting to change the subject, but desperate for something to fill the quiet.   
  


"Fine." Anakin's answer was short but not curt. Obi-Wan drummed his fingers lightly against the rail. Anakin was still staring at him.   
  


The part of Obi-Wan that wasn't busy obsessing over Anakin at the moment found satisfaction that Anakin seemed to be feeling better. The twinge of discomfort that had colored their bond for the past week had lessened greatly as well.   
  


"You're like the sun."   
  


Anakin once again drew him back out of his mind and into the world.   
  


"Golden...glowing, sort of."   
  


Obi-Wan cleared his throat. He braved a glance at Anakin and found himself frozen. He had never seen such an expression on the other Jedi before. It was like getting lost on the ocean, beautiful and breathtaking and maybe dangerous.   
  


"Glowing?" Obi-Wan repeated, whispering because he doubted his voice would work any louder.   
  


"There's a kind of aura around you," Anakin said. "Gold, like the sunlight. And your hair."   
  


"I'm...well, I'm not sure what to say," Obi-Wan replied. It wasn't eloquent, but it was truthful. Anakin had him at a loss.   
  


"You don't have to say anything," Anakin told him. "I'd like to kiss you," he added. Obi-Wan inhaled sharply. He nodded.   
  


Anakin was very graceful like this, Obi-Wan mused. He watched Anakin move slowly, placing his cup on the small table and taking two steps towards Obi-Wan. Using his real hand, Anakin brushed his fingers through the piece of Obi-Wan's hair that never wanted to stay back. His hand continued down, wrapping around the side of his head, near his ear. The other one joined it on the opposite side. Obi-Wan stared up at Anakin in silence. Their height difference was more pronounced, standing this close.   
  


Eyes still locked intently on his, Anakin leaned forward, almost in slow motion. Their lips met in the same slow way. Anakin tilted his head to the side and, pressing lightly against Obi-Wan's mouth, kissed him as carefully and gently as he knew how. He licked into his mouth with great care, and Obi-Wan felt himself melting against Anakin. His fingers wound around Anakin's arms as he pressed up into Anakin, wanting more. This was easily their most sensual kiss yet, tender and full of an easy love. Obi-Wan's chest ached and half of a moan made its way out of his throat. Anakin, hearing the sound, smiled against his lips, and that was the final straw. Obi-Wan was too far gone on this feeling to care. Anakin tasted like chocolate and gentle power and Obi-Wan couldn't get enough.   
  


When Anakin pulled away, his chest was heaving slightly and his lips were red in the most delicious way. He pressed his forehead against Obi-Wan's, eyes closed briefly and a smile on his face.   
  


"Do that again," Obi-Wan heard himself whisper, but he didn't have time to be mortified. 

 

Anakin's expression turned back to the serious one of focus as he bent and kissed Obi-Wan again. This one started deep and stayed deep, infused with a soft passion that left them in no hurry but full of want. One of Anakin's arms fell to wrap around Obi-Wan's waist, pulling him against him in a tight embrace Obi-Wan never wanted to leave. He hummed in satisfaction, and Anakin used his other hand to tilt Obi-Wan's face up further, turning to hum into a soft moan. Obi-Wan shifted his own hands, then, tangling them in Anakin's messy hair, and delighted in the groan he received in response.   
  


When air became necessary, they broke again, quick, soft breaths mixing in the small space between them. Something Anakin had been itching to say pressed at the back of his mind, but the shrill sound of the doorbell cut into their atmosphere.   
  


Obi-Wan groaned and let his head fall onto Anakin's chest. Anakin laughed, a bright and happy sound.   
  


"Which one of us looks most presentable?" he asked, looking down at Obi-Wan with an overflowing fondness.   
  


Obi-Wan stepped reluctantly away from Anakin, smoothing his hands down his robes. Anakin's lips were obviously red and kiss-swollen, and Obi-Wan had no doubt his were the same. Obi-Wan, however, was the only one dressed.   
  


"I'll get it," he replied. Leaving Anakin on the porch, Obi-Wan made his way to the door, trying to think of an explanation for his appearance.   
  


His worry was for not, though, for it was only a letter at the door. A summons, to be precise.   
  


"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called. He opened the note, though he could guess what it would say.   
  


"Yes, dear?" Anakin responded, walking into the room. Obi-Wan looked up to give him a glare. Anakin smirked.   
  


"A council meeting," he announced, passing the note to Anakin. "In half an hour."   
  


"You suspect something," Anakin observed after scanning the summons.   
  


"The topic of the meeting," Obi-Wan nodded. "There is no doubt the Council has noticed a shift in the Force. Attros spoke with me of it when we landed on Coruscant. Honestly, I'm surprised the Council waited this long to call a meeting." Obi-Wan fell onto the sofa, resigned    
  


"This is about us?" Anakin sounded disbelieving. He sat next to Obi-Wan.   
  


"Surely you've felt it," Obi-Wan said. "A shift not just in our bond, but in our Force signatures." Obi-Wan sighed. "I'm not sure what I did, but something remarkable, no doubt. And against the Code."   
  


Anakin needed to stop that train of thought right there.   
  


"Ah, ah, ah," he said, "nothing about the Code."   
  


Obi-Wan looked ready to protest.   
  


"Look," Anakin huffed. "As much as you try to tell yourself this, you've never been great at following the Code. Everyone else thinks you are, sure, and you even had yourself convinced there for a while. But since you did whatever you did to save my life, you've been free of it. Don't deny it, I know it's true. I was there for that huge release of emotions, remember? It's like you said; we can't hide things from each other anymore. You can't honestly tell me you want to go back to that rigid, painful lifestyle just because some people told you so, can you?"   
  


Anakin's confidence faltered at the end. Could Obi-Wan really choose the Code over everything that had happened in the last few days? Anakin was suddenly afraid that he'd misjudged the entire situation.   
  


"No," Obi-Wan said eventually. "I couldn't go back." He took a deep breath. "I'm not even sure I'd want to."   
  


If the mood were lighter, Anakin would have celebrated. Instead, he reached over and twined his fingers through Obi-Wan's.   
  


"You're not alone in this either," he said. Obi-Wan smiled at him, and though apprehension and a feeling two steps from fear filled their bond, Anakin allowed himself the thought that they would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also psa i'm going back to catch some errors i missed the first time around and fixing the formatting mistakes so yay for that


	6. i'm a lucky soul that holds your hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall this is the cheesiest thing on the planet, but it's also my favorite chapter of this thing so far. i'm about halfway through the prewritten chapters now, which means i need to get over my writer's block and finish the last couple chapters. anyway, enjoy!

The Council meeting went as well as Obi-Wan figured it would.   
  


“I can’t believe that!”   
  


Anakin kicked a rock across the path on the way back to their rooms, obviously angry. Obi-Wan didn’t have it in him to chastise him.   
  


“The moment something happens that they don’t approve of, they have to blame someone!”   
  


Obi-Wan sighed. He had to admit Anakin had a point. The meeting flashed back behind his eyes.   
  


_ Yoda watched the two of them with an expression that said he knew more than he let on.  _

_ “A shift in the Force, we have observed." _ __  
  


_ Mace cut in. “What have you done this time, Skywalker?” He sounded personally offended. Obi-Wan felt a hot anger suddenly surge up within in. The gentle touch of Anakin’s fingertips to the back of his hand brought him back down. _ __  
  


_ “I could hardly assign blame so easily,” Obi-Wan replied. Anakin could read the steel in his voice, and stepped down to let Obi-Wan handle this one. _ __  
  


_ “Of course not,” Windu scoffed. “There’s been a disturbance, and we all agree it’s somehow linked to you.” _ __  
  


_ “I haven’t been made aware of this disturbance you speak of. Perhaps the return of our Force signatures to Coruscant so strongly has influenced you in some way.” _ __  
  


_ Windu glared. _ __  
  


_ “No blame, we have,” Yoda cut in. His eyes bore into Obi-Wan in a way that said otherwise. “Only the wish to inform you.” _ __  
  


_ “Well, I thank you for the information,” Obi-Wan bowed slightly. _ __  
  


_ “They’ve definitely done something,” Windu grumbled. Anakin stared him down, and Obi-Wan tried to send as much peace as he could through their bond. Now was not the time. _ __  
  


_ Anakin calmed down and Obi-Wan released a breath. Windu’s attention snapped to them, and for a moment a cold fear ran in Obi-Wan’s veins. He flicked his gaze between the two of them, and Obi-Wan could swear he looked to where Anakin’s fingers grazed Obi-Wan’s hand in a subtle, grounding way. _ __  
  


_ Obi-Wan made sure to meet his eyes. “If that will be all.” _   
  


Obi-Wan cringed at the memory. He had behaved out of line.   
  


Anakin had stopped walking, and Obi-Wan was jerked back to reality. “And even if it was my fault, what would that have to do with you?” Though the anger was strong in his words, it sounded like a legitimate question.   
  


“They seem to think I have some way to control you,” Obi-Wan said. He glanced sideways at Anakin, waiting for the smirk. It didn’t come. It seemed, since the war, it was harder to get that old humor out of him than it used to be.   
  


“You do.”   
  


“Anakin - ” Obi-Wan started. Anakin held up a hand.   
  


“You do,” he repeated, shrugging. “I doubt they understand why, but you do. In case you wanted to know.”   
  


Obi-Wan was never sure how to tread around this open, honest Anakin. So he reached out, letting his emotions guide him, for once, and grabbed Anakin’s hand, squeezing it gently.   
  


“Don’t worry about it.”   
  


Anakin looked surprised.   
  


“About the Council. Don’t worry about it.”   
  


“Seriously?”   
  


“What can we do?” Obi-wan sighed, a mixture of frustration and acceptance twisting through their bond. “The Council has their beliefs, and they will do what they will.”   
  


“I never understood how you could follow them,” Anakin admitted. “I can’t live like that.”    
  


“I know.” Obi-Wan chuckled. “It was one of the reasons I didn’t want to train you, in the beginning. You were already so set in your ways.” There was an affectionate nostalgia radiating from him through their bond that made Anakin’s chest tight. “Although,” Obi-Wan continued, inclining his head, “I’m beginning to see your side of things.”   
  


Slowly, that mold Obi-Wan had built up around himself was crumbling down. Anakin was rubbing off on him more than the other way around, it seemed. Their bond was proof of Obi-Wan’s easy disregard for the Code he had so structured his life around as a padawan.   
  


“How things have changed,” Anakin grinned. He then frowned. “I just don’t understand why it’s an issue.”   
  


Obi-Wan shook his head. “It is completely against the Jedi way,” he reminded his old student.   
  


“Oh, right, I forgot. Jedi aren’t supposed to feel happiness, or joy, or love.”   
  


Obi-Wan heard the jest in his tone, but also the genuine frustration. The irritation Obi-Wan had been trying to suppress himself pushed at the front of his mind.

  
Stress from the both of them flowed through their bond, amplifying it until it was hard to focus on anything else. Obi-Wan stopped, a thought striking him. There was no use trying to get anything done with this much tension built up.   
  


“Wait,” he said. “I have an idea.”   
  


He turned and walked in a direction away from their rooms. Anakin followed, curious. They were close enough that he could smell the plants when he figured out where they were headed.   
  


“The Room of a Thousand Fountains?” Anakin asked, humored and curious. Obi-Wan didn’t reply, just continued to walk. Anakin noticed from beside him that his shoulders were tense and his spine was ramrod straight. He sighed internally; he wished there was a way he could help what the Council said not affect Obi-Wan so much.   
  


Walking into the Room of a Thousand Fountains was always an experience Anakin liked. It smelled green, like leaves and grass and fresh water. He remembered well the first time Obi-Wan had taken him here. As a child from a desert planet who hadn’t seen much green ever in his life, he had been stunned into an awed silence. The sound of water rushing over rocks and falling into pools was a strange one, but it had become one of his favorites. And the feeling of laying on the soft grass, surrounded by the shifting sounds of the leaves and the scents of fresh blossoms was one he would never tire of.   
  


They walked down a familiar path, coming to the first field of grass Anakin had ever felt. Obi-Wan slid off his dark outer robe and toed off his boots, stepping onto the cool grass with a deep, satisfied sigh. Anakin watched as he tilted his face towards the sunlight streaming through the windows, eyes closed and lips upturned into a small smile.   
  


He shed his own robe and shoes, lying on his back in the grass beside where Obi-Wan had taken up a meditation position. Anakin folded his hands behind his head and closed his eyes with a sigh. He let the peaceful sounds of the Room wash over him, felt his stress ebb away into the Force.   
  


Obi-Wan sighed and opened his eyes a moment later. The tightness in their bond had dissolved, leaving a mixture of sadness and fondness that Anakin had come to identify as simply Obi-Wan.   
  


"Sorry," Obi-Wan said, voice soft. "I shouldn't have let that happen."   
  


"Please," Anakin scoffed. "You're the furthest from blame."   
  


"Still," Obi-Wan shook his head, looking down at his fingers running over the blades of grass.   
  


Anakin rolled over onto his side, propping his head up with his metal arm. He glanced at Obi-Wan, an idea in in his head. With his other hand he traced a circle in the grass and lifted his palm towards the ceiling. He opened himself fully to the Force, letting it flow from the air around him and into the ground beneath his hand.   
  


A blue flower emerged, unfurling its petals, Force shimmering in the air around it.   
  


Obi-Wan gasped and Anakin smiled.   
  


"How can you do that?" Obi-Wan asked, something akin to reverence in his tone.   
  


"I don't know," Anakin replied. "I just...let the Force flow through me and encourage it to grow a flower. I guess."   
  


Obi-Wan stared at the flower like it was a miracle. Anakin stayed quiet, waiting for him to speak.   
  


"Qui-Gon told me stories of Force-users who were so in tuned to the Living Force that they could leave flowers in their footsteps," he began. "He always loved things like that. Plants, yes, but fanciful stories like that. Well," Obi-Wan's lips quirked into a quick smile. "I always thought they were fanciful. Fabricated stories to fascinate the children." His smile now when he looked at Anakin was his real one, the one he saved for moments when they were alone. "But now I see it, and it's very real, and very incredible. You never cease to amaze me."   
  


There was enough affection in their bond to make Anakin's heart burst. He pushed himself up, settling in next to Obi-Wan so that their bodies were pressed together from hip to shoulder. He reached over, wrapping Obi-Wan's hands in his own. He let his eyes fall shut, envisioning the Room as it looked with the Force, energy flowing through and around it.   
  


He opened his eyes at Obi-Wan's sharp inhale. It must have worked, then. Anakin looked at him, hesitant and waiting for words. Obi-Wan's gaze flitted around the room, taking in this beautiful new view. The water literally glowed and the flowers sparkled. He felt like he could feel the trees breathing and the grass sighing as a breeze drifted through the blades.   
  


"Is this the way you see the world?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice just a breathy whisper. A strange kind of pride swelled up in Anakin.   
  


"Yeah," he nodded. His gaze was still fixed on Obi-Wan, searching his expression for something he didn't know. He felt like he should say more, but no words came to mind, so he sat and stared at Obi-Wan, falling in love with the awed expression on his face like one falls off a cliff.   
  


"It's beautiful. Truly, Anakin, this is...incredible."   
  


When Obi-Wan turned towards him, he couldn’t help it. He wanted to know what happiness tasted like on Obi-Wan. It was a quick, chaste kiss, but technically the Room was a public place and Anakin didn't want to push him.   
  


Only suddenly Obi-Wan's hand fisted in the front of his shirt and he pulled him back in, kissing him deeper. Obi-Wan urged him onto the grass, taking up residence above him, filling up his eyeline. Everything smelled like green and Obi-Wan and Anakin could die like this, the most peaceful he'd ever felt. Being with Obi-Wan, he could find a calm he can achieve no other way. Any thought of being without this made his heart squeeze.   
  


"I love you," Anakin whispered between their lips. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but he meant every word just the same.   
  


Obi-Wan froze and Anakin flicked his gaze between Obi-Wan's eyes, waiting for his next move.   
  


Obi-Wan's throat closed and he tried to form words, but nothing happened. He couldn't make himself do anything until Anakin's nerves seeped through their bond. He couldn't allow Anakin to think he didn't love him back. The thought that Anakin could even think that was enough to have him surging forward again, kissing Anakin like it was the last thing he'd ever do.   
  


The words raced around Obi-Wan's mind, itching on the back of his tongue, but fear stopped him every time he tried to speak. Fear that if he said it aloud that would make it real, and if it was real, then it was breakable. Obi-Wan knew he couldn't make it through losing Anakin in any way.   
  


The combination of desperation and fear rolling off Obi-Wan gave Anakin pause. He wrapped gentle fingers around Obi-Wan's shoulders, pushing him back to look him in the eye.   
  


"What's wrong?" he asked, reaching up to tuck a loose piece of Obi-Wan's hair behind his ear.   
  


Obi-Wan searched Anakin's gaze before ducking and hiding his face in his neck.   
  


"I can't lose you," he mumbled, and it took Anakin a moment to work through the muffled words.   
  


His hand tightened in Obi-Wan's hair when he did.   
  


"You won't," Anakin promised, pressing a kiss to his temple. "I love you," he repeated, just because he liked the way the words felt in his mouth. He let that overwhelming love into their bond, urging Obi-Wan to look at him.   
  


Obi-Wan's eyes were glassy and Anakin was about to speak when Obi-Wan beat him to it.   
  


"I love you, too," he said, and afterwards released a breath he'd been holding along with his fear. "I love you, I love you, I love you."   
  


Anakin's grin hurt his cheeks. He tried to kiss Obi-Wan again, but he couldn't stop smiling long enough. He laughed, and Obi-Wan hid his face in his neck. Anakin could feel his smile against his skin.   
  


Obi-Wan stood up abruptly. "Come on," he said, holding out a hand for Anakin, who grabbed it and didn't let go. "I want to try something."   
  


"Where now?" Anakin asked, a little bit of that typical petulance in his voice. He didn't want to leave the Room.   
  


"You'll like it," was Obi-Wan's only response. Anakin followed along happily, the amount of love flowing between their bond nearly enough to be sickening.


	7. i swear it's you that my heart beats for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh! sorry this took longer than usual, i was on vacation and without a computer. anyways, here's chapter 7. i only have three more finished chapters sooo updates will probably slow down while i'll finish fleshing out the plot. thanks for being patient with me!
> 
> also yes new username, same person :)

"Sparring? Really?" Anakin asked when they entered the room. He wanted to make out with Obi-Wan, not fight with him.   
  


Obi-Wan only shrugged. There were small waves of excitement radiating in their bond.   
  


"That’s rather kinky."   
  


"Honestly, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed, but it was pointless. Anakin could feel he wasn't actually irritated. Anakin only chuckled.   
  


  
  


There was no one else in the room with them today. This was the first time they had sparred since returning to Coruscant after the incident.   
  


Anakin flipped the handle of his lightsaber in his hand and settled into a beginning stance. As Obi-Wan positioned himself opposite Anakin, he felt Anakin's excitement increase.   
  


"Ready?" Obi-Wan asked, lighting his saber.   
  


"Whenever you are," Anakin nodded.   
  


Their sabers met in a sizzling cross less than a second later. Anakin's grin nearly split his face, and Obi-Wan chuckled before ducking into a tuck and rolling away from Anakin. He jumped to his feet in the corner of the mat and parried Anakin's attack with his back turned. A quick, graceful shuffle of feet and they were crossing the floor in a fast sort of dance, blades meeting over and over. Obi-Wan just about had Anakin backed up against the opposite wall.   
  


"You're a little slow, today, Anakin," he remarked with a smirk. "Focus."    
  


Anakin rolled his eyes, and a sudden dangerous glint lit them. Obi-Wan gasped as Anakin let his shields fall, opening their Force bond completely. The tip of his saber fell towards the ground and he took an involuntary step backwards, overwhelmed by the rush of Anakin.   
  


Anakin, clearly pleased with himself, moved to the offense. Obi-Wan swung his lightsaber up just in time to deflect Anakin's, and then they were back across the floor. Although now the one struggling to fight back, Obi-Wan found himself resisting a smile.   
  


"You're such a sap," Anakin said, slightly out of breath. "I can almost taste your happiness," Anakin continued. Obi-Wan remembered the downed shields. "It's ridiculous."   
  


Obi-Wan merely shrugged. They stood facing each other in silent contemplation for a moment.   
  


"I had no idea you liked sparring so much," Anakin said eventually, deceptively offhand. Obi-Wan smiled at the warmth that flooded their bond.    
  


"I like the power trip," Obi-Wan replied. Anakin pretended to be scandalized.   
  


"Master!" he exclaimed, laughing. "Surely that's against the Code!"   
  


"What the Council doesn't know won't kill them," Obi-Wan shrugged, amused. Anakin raised his saber to begin again, but Obi-Wan stopped him.   
  


"Wait, I have an idea."   
  


He reached out his empty hand to Anakin, and when their fingers touched, he gave fully into the bond. The world became a little sharper, Anakin's presence a little brighter, the Force a little stronger.   
  


Anakin squeezed his hand, the weight a comfort he wasn't sure how he lived without. The comforting warmth Anakin had begun to associate with love filled their bond like heat fills a cold room.   
  


"I don't think I'll even get used to that," Obi-Wan said softly. He dropped his hand with a smile. "Now we fight." Obi-Wan didn't have to see Anakin's grin to feel the thrill rolling off him.   
  


Anakin was the first to move, taking two bold steps forward and fending off Obi-Wan's attacks. Obi-Wan ducked under the next swing, coming at it from the other side. Anakin twisted around, fighting at an odd angle but to no hindrance. Obi-Wan advanced with three fast, alternating attacks, and closed in on Anakin with a final powerful swing. Anakin deflected it with a shove, sending Obi-Wan backwards. Obi-Wan instead used the momentum to spin around and bent his knees to make a low pass at Anakin. Anakin simply jumped over the blade and landed in a roll, coming up on his knees behind Obi-Wan. A quick turn had them facing each other. They twirled around each other, kneeling, giving and blocking blows across the floor.   
  


Anakin swung low and Obi-Wan bent backwards, hands coming up on the floor beside his head to launch him up off the ground. Anakin shot his leg out in hopes of tripping Obi-Wan and sending him back to the floor, but Obi-Wan expected the move and shuffled out of reach. He spun his lightsaber in his hands as fast as he could, turning it into a swirl of blue light by his side. Anakin was standing by the time the spinning became an attack, but barely had a moment to regain his footing before having to fend off Obi-Wan's renewed advances. Obi-Wan, finally securely with the upper hand, pushed Anakin back until his foot edged off the mat. Their lightsabers disengaged simultaneously, and Obi-Wan took a step back. He was about to comment on how, somewhat surprisingly, he had won that match, but both he and Anakin noticed the others in the room at the same time. Turning to the opposite wall, a rather large group of younglings, padawans, and masters collectively sat to watch the match. Anakin, feeling his former master's sudden flare of uncomfortableness, curled a hand around his upper arm, turning his attention back to him.   
  


"Looks like you got lucky that time, old man," he said, voice quiet. He knew the others could hear him all the same, but Obi-Wan seemed grateful for the semblance of privacy it offered.   
  


"You're just upset that I beat you," Obi-Wan shot back, something suspiciously like pride emanating in their bond.   
  


"Who says I didn't let you win?" Anakin asked, easily falling into their usual banter. 

 

Obi-Wan threw up the hilt of his lightsaber and caught it with the most self-satisfied grin Anakin had ever seen on the man. Confidence swept over him in a wave and he narrowed his eyes. He wondered if Obi-Wan had forgotten their audience. Obi-Wan must have picked up on the subtle sense of apprehension Anakin felt, because he just slightly shook his head and offered Anakin a quick, private smile.    
  


"Whatever helps you to sleep at night," he shrugged. There was a quieted chorus of shock and amusement from the group at the other end of the room. Obi-Wan turned to them, beaming. He bowed dramatically, and the younglings clapped happily.   
  


Anakin came up beside Obi-Wan, shaking his head and sighed. Obi-Wan looked at him, and Anakin could see in his face the giddiness he could feel through the bond.    
  


"What am I going to do with you?" he said, in a terrible imitation of Obi-Wan's accent. Obi-Wan laughed, a bright and genuine sound. The Force practically glowed around him.   
  


_ You love me _ , Obi-Wan's voice rang in his mind. Anakin smiled.   
  


_ Isn't this usually the other way? _ He responded, not doubting Obi-Wan could feel the same fond exasperation he felt. He imagined Obi-Wan was very familiar with the feeling.   
  


_ What a nice change of pace _ , Obi-Wan replied. Anakin decided that he would do whatever he could to get more of this from his old master from now on. This Obi-Wan smiled freely and laughed lightly, not weighed down by the heavy universe and the responsibilities of a Jedi. Anakin definitely wanted more of this.   
  


And because they were unable to prevent any emotion from transferring across their bond, he watched Obi-Wan as he received Anakin's feelings. That one, rare, bright smile Anakin hadn't seen since well before the War broke out across his face, and he felt his own heart swell beside Obi-Wan's affection.   
  


There were a number of things Obi-Wan could've said, then, but he ended up saying the only thing he truly wanted to say.   
  


"Another round?"   
  


Anakin ignited his lightsaber and grinned in response.   
  


Most of their audience had left; there were one or two master-and-padawan pairs still in the room, but most of the attention on them had vanished.   
  


Obi-Wan lit his own lightsaber and watched Anakin twirl his around from side to side. 

But before Obi-Wan could make the first move, Anakin held up a hand.   
  


"I want to try something," he said in way of explanation when Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Don't fight back," he instructed. "Just...follow your gut, not your mind."   
  


Obi-Wan regarded him with skepticism, but Anakin continued anyway.   
  


He took a step forward with his left foot, bringing his saber out around him in a nearly horizontal position, his movements much slower than they were before. He looked up from his feet to Obi-Wan, whose gaze looked calculating.   
  


"Remember, no thinking," Anakin said, and huffed a laugh at Obi-Wan's indignation. He watched Obi-Wan close his eyes and take a deep breath. When he opened them again, his eyes were much clearer.   
  


Obi-Wan stepped forward with his own left foot and crossed his saber with Anakin's, though his was nearly vertical with the ground.   
  


Anakin flipped his hand so that the arm holding the saber crossed his body, and pushed up against Obi-Wan's, leaning forward. Obi-Wan, nearly immediately after Anakin shifted, spun to the side, looping his lightsaber by his side. Anakin twisted around to launch an attack, but Obi-Wan met him halfway and held him at bay. Anakin smiled.   
  


"Now you're getting it," he said. Obi-Wan shook his head, small, gentle waves of fondness transferring across the bond. When Obi-Wan's eyes snapped to his in complete understand, Anakin chuckled. "Now you get it."   
  


"Do you actually think this will work?" Obi-Wan asked, voice a whisper. He peered around to the few Jedi still in the room, chatting amongst themselves.   
  


"It's working right now, isn't it?" Anakin countered. Obi-Wan still looked disbelieving.   
  


"Come on," Anakin said, pushing some of his excitement through the bond. "You have to believe in it. Throw yourself into it and just trust."   
  


A slight look of terror seized Obi-Wan.   
  


"You're always telling me to trust in the Force, right?" Anakin said. Obi-Wan nodded, silent. "You have to believe that...whatever this is won't let you fall."   
  


"When did you become so eloquent?" Obi-Wan asked, amusement not entirely covering his anxiety.   
  


"Trust me," Anakin urged. "Can you imagine if this works, for real?"   
  


Obi-Wan sighed. "Let's give it a go, then," he agreed.   
  


Anakin took up his stance again, and Obi-Wan stood opposite him, flexing his bare feet against the mat.   
  


"Just feel," Anakin instructed, and with that they fell into motion.   
  


Anakin moved forward first, and as if Obi-Wan could read his mind, he parried the attack and countered it with one of his own.   
  


They moved as one, a steady blur of blue, back and forth across the floor. If they were skilled before, it was nothing compared to this. It almost felt like they were two beings with a single mind, moving and shifting without a second between thoughts. The speed with which they sparred was like nothing they had ever done before. It suddenly wasn't necessary to anticipate and react; each knew the movement before it was acted upon. It was a stalemate from beginning to end, no doubt, but this wasn't about the upper hand. This was about fluidity and grace, a unique kind of togetherness only they could achieve. It was thrilling, entirely new and maybe a little bit dangerous. Exhilaration hummed between them, enthusiasm and awe mixing together until it was impossible to tell for sure whose emotions were whose. Nothing had ever felt so power, nor so secure.   
  


They stopped together, deep breaths matching each other. Anakin felt more full of energy than he ever had in his life. He looked over at Obi-Wan, who was already watching him with a rare, entirely open expression. New waves of awe rolled through the bond. Anakin quirked an eyebrow.   
  


"Is this what it feels like for you?" Obi-Wan asked.   
  


"Is this what what feels like?"   
  


"The Force," Obi-Wan said. "I can feel it everywhere. It's in my blood, on my skin... I can almost taste it."   
  


"Cool, right?" Anakin grinned.   
  


"This is incredible," Obi-Wan agreed, looking at his hands in amazement. It was like looking at the world with a pair of glasses for the first time, not knowing you needed them. Everything felt so sharp: he could feel the coolness from the mat travelling up his toes, the gentlest wind from the open hallway outside the door to the room. That kind of power should've felt dangerous, but Obi-Wan found that instead he felt stronger, more sure of himself than ever. It was also strangely comforting, being so connected to the world like that. If he had been outside, Obi-Wan had no doubt that he would've been able to hear every beat of a bird's wings.   
  


The sound of shifting chairs broke the revere. Obi-Wan spun around, startled out of his contemplation. At least twice the group from before sat on the edges of the mat, eyes still wide and surprised. Obi-Wan looked to Anakin, expression just as shocked as the spectators. It was gone in a moment, though, replaced by the cool and collected look so typically seen on his former master.

  
"It seems like we've tied," Obi-Wan said, breaking the silence that was on its way to uncomfortable. The usual amount of mirth colored his tone.  
  


"This time," Anakin replied.  _ We're definitely doing that again _ , he didn't say out loud.   
Obi-Wan bowed, and a sudden applause erupted from the group. Anakin chuckled softly enough only Obi-Wan could hear, and bent to the crowd as well, before subtly pulling Obi-Wan out of the room and away from the Jedi masters staring after them in confusion.


	8. you were fine by night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> someday i promise to actually update when i say i will. have some sexies to make up for it :)

Anakin laughed all the way back to their rooms. “We’re definitely doing that again,” he said, slightly breathless, when the door slid shut behind him. “I know we were good at fighting together before, but imagine it now!”   
  


Obi-Wan shook his head with a smile as he walked to the kitchen. Anakin was sometimes still the excited, curious child he and Qui-Gon picked up from Tatooine.   
  


Anakin watched Obi-Wan leave the room, an idea tugging his lips into a smirk.   
  


“Remember when you said I wasn’t seductive?” Anakin called. He made his way slowly through the apartment after Obi-Wan.   
  


“Perhaps,” Obi-Wan replied. Anakin found him paused on the way to his room.   
  


“I’d like to test that now.”   
  


Obi-Wan turned around slowly. Anakin stood a few steps away, backlit by the night lights from the city. It gave him a forbidden kind of allure, as if he was some creature of the night come straight out of Obi-Wan’s darkest fantasy.   
  


Obi-Wan let his eyes travel across his body, for once shamelessly admiring the man before him. Anakin’s lips curled into that devilishly handsome smirk, and he started towards Obi-Wan. He prowled towards him, really; there wasn't another way to describe it. Obi-Wan suddenly felt very much like prey watching its predator slowly approach. He decided it was a feeling he liked very much.   
  


Like this, Anakin could easily fit that ever-so-common phrase about tall, dark, and handsome men. As he neared Obi-Wan, his gaze tilted lower and lower. He ducked his head slightly, and it made him look much taller, as if he literally towered over Obi-Wan by more than just a head.   
  


Obi-Wan fell back against his bedroom door, staring up at Anakin. He was captivating, beautiful in a dangerous way, looking like sin. The door now supported Obi-Wan's full weight. Anakin raised his hands slowly, letting them stay in the air on either side of Obi-Wan's head as he leaned in. He left a moment, just long enough for Obi-Wan to tell him no if he wanted, and then he kissed him. His hands cupped Obi-Wan's jawline, thumbs running over cheekbones and fingers playing with soft hair. This was a deeply passionate kiss, just the right amount of pressure and tongue to drive Obi-Wan crazy. He gave himself over completely into the feelings Anakin pulled out of him, and he could feel Anakin's hitch of breath as the full force of those feelings transferred across their bond. The gentle passion left Anakin then, and as he pressed Obi-Wan against the door with his own body, he deepened the kiss into something that tasted forbidden. Obi-Wan couldn't get enough.   
  


When Obi-Wan pulled his head back to suck in oxygen, Anakin's mouth traveled across his jawline and down the side of his neck. The small part of Obi-Wan's brain that could still function thought that perhaps this wasn't the most comfortable angle for Anakin.   
  


That problem was quickly solved, however, when Anakin's hands grasped at his hips and picked him up. His back slid along the door and Anakin fit his hips just below Obi-Wan's. He accented the change in position with a hard suck just beneath Obi-Wan's collarbone. Obi-Wan, completely caught by surprise, pushed his head back into the door and his body towards Anakin, needing more of that right now. Anakin chuckled, low and husky, against Obi-Wan's skin. Obi-Wan was so far gone on the feeling that he could barely force his legs to wrap around Anakin's waist.   
  


It was a very sexy feeling, he decided, pressed against someone like this, trapped, totally at their mercy. There wasn't really a way he could describe it, other than that he wanted more.   
  


The fresh wave of arousal in their bond brought a wicked smile to Anakin's face. He looked nearly feral, smugness rolling off him in waves. Obi-Wan wanted to find it irritating, he really did, but it seemed to have the entirely opposite effect.   
  


Anakin's mouth latched back onto his neck as his hands slid from his waist up his sides, underneath his robe. He pushed at it, sliding it off his shoulders until it pooled against his elbows.   
  


Obi-Wan gave up his control over himself, then. The last shreds of that infamous self control floated away, leaving a moaning, panting mess behind. If Anakin was pleased before, he must be incredibly satisfied with himself now. He had successfully broken down every reserve Obi-Wan had, and they hadn't even reached the bed yet.   
  


The bed, Anakin decided, sounded great right about then. Twisting his arms tightly around Obi-Wan's waist, he felt along the door for the handle. He pushed it open, carrying Obi-Wan into and dropping him on the bed. Obi-Wan shrugged the rest of the way out of his robes before he situated himself further up the bed. He laid propped up on his elbows, watching Anakin.   
  


Anakin raked his gaze over Obi-Wan, and then met his stare and held it as he slipped off his own robes. Obi-Wan was frozen, able to only watch with increasingly rushed breaths as Anakin crawled up the bed until his body was positioned over Obi-Wan's. That approach was at least ten times as sexy, full of rippling muscles and slinking motions. Obi-Wan melted into the mattress as Anakin let his weight rest on him.   
  


"Okay?" he asked quietly, gently mouthing underneath his chin.   
  


"Kriff, yes." Obi-Wan's voice was high and breathy and Anakin took a moment to congratulate himself.   
  


"Do you take back what you said?"   
  


Obi-Wan tried to recall what Anakin was talking about, but it was rather distracting with his whole body pleasantly crushed by Anakin's.   
  


"Take what back?"   
  


Anakin nipped his jaw and Obi-Wan, surprised, groaned.   
  


"That...I'm...not...seductive," Anakin explained, punctuating each word with a quick, sucking kiss on Obi-Wan's neck.   
  


Obi-Wan's moan turned into a yes towards the end. He didn't really understand how Anakin had enough brain power left to hold a conversation.   
  


"Good," Anakin purred. His tone sent a shiver down Obi-Wan's spine.   
  


His lips returned to Obi-Wan's, then, and Obi-Wan rose to meet him, arms around Anakin's neck. Whether it was to bring him down or lift himself up, he didn't care. Anakin's body rolled along top of his in the most delicious way, pressing against his exposed skin and lighting his nerves on fire.   
  


Anakin's lips tasted like everything forbidden and sweet, and for once in his life Obi-Wan let himself enjoy it without a thought to what came next. They fell asleep sometime in the small hours of the morning, warm under shared sheets and lit dimly by the moon through the window.

 

  
When Anakin awoke the next morning, the bed was empty, and the sheets had grown cold. He yawned as he shuffled out of the room, pulling an old jacket over his sleeping pants. Based on the amount of sun in the room, he estimated the time around early afternoon.  
  


"Good afternoon, Anakin," Obi-Wan greeted him from behind the counter. Anakin slouched onto the stool opposite him. They sat in comfortable silence as Obi-Wan worked around the kitchen. It took Anakin a surprisingly long time to notice the waves of apprehension and mild anger his old master was sending through their bond.   
  


That woke him up quickly. He sat up straighter and leaned forwards across the counter.   
  


"Obi-Wan, what...?" he asked. Obi-Wan looked down and avoided answering. Anakin's eyes narrowed.   
  


"Obi-Wan, what's going on?" His voice had taken on the serious and commanding tone Obi-Wan only heard when they dealt with a particularly difficult mission.   
  


"The Council called me this morning. There was a short meeting," Obi-Wan started while his back was to Anakin. He kept a wary watch on the emotions Anakin was spending through the bond.   
  


"I'm going on a mission. A short, diplomatic one, I'm told. I'm to be back in three days."   
Obi-Wan stilled and waited, braced for Anakin's response.   
  


"A mission? Without me?"   
  


The anger Obi-Wan was expecting had yet to appear, and he breathed a small sigh of relief.   
  


"I believe it's best if you stay home on this one," Obi-Wan said, leaving out the Council's words. They hadn't been all too kind. "It's strictly negotiations and diplomacy, and we both know how much you love that."   
  


Anakin made a distracted hum sound. Obi-Wan faced him, then. He looked lost in thought.   
  


"Three days?" Anakin asked.   
  


"Three days," Obi-Wan nodded.   
  


"When do you ship out?"   
  


"This afternoon."   
  


"This afternoon!" Ah, there was the typical Anakin response he had been waiting for.   
  


"What's wrong, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, keeping his own tone neutral.   
  


"What am I supposed to do for three days?" Anakin sounded indignant. "What about the bond?"   
  


That was something Obi-Wan hadn't thought of.   
  


"I'm not sure," Obi-Wan admitted. "I guess we'll just have to find out."   
  


Anakin's head fell forward and he groaned.   
  


"You're leaving so soon," Anakin whined. "That's not fair."   
  


"How is that not fair?" Obi-Wan asked, eyebrow quirked. Anakin didn't respond. He dragged himself out of the chair and over to Obi-Wan, standing behind him. Anakin's arms looped loosely around Obi-Wan's waist and his chin rested on Obi-Wan's head.   
  


“I finally have you all to myself, and now you’re leaving,” Anakin explained. He tilted his head to kiss down Obi-Wan’s neck.   
  


“No marks, Anakin,” Obi-Wan reminded him, distracted. Anakin hummed. He spun Obi-Wan around, leaning down now to catch his lips.   
  


“Come back to bed,” he whispered between kisses. Obi-Wan let himself be pulled back to the bedroom, pieces of clothing lining the floor on the way there.


	9. felt just like it's ten shades of winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah hello! sorry it's been so long! i got tied up in some other fandom stuff and i just started college and it's all been crazy. i promise i haven't abandoned this fic tho! this chapter is kind of short, and I really hate it a lot, but I wanted to get something posted so
> 
> [UPDATE 4/18/17] CHAPTER UPDATED!

The first day was fine. He taught his class, still amazed at how quickly he came to love the position and the young students who looked up at him like he was  _important_. They sat around the mat in the after-lession cool down Anakin imposed on the first day, and they asked him about training and sparring.

 

A young Twi'leck girl sat to his left, and she asked about Jar'kai.

 

"I don't know it well, myself," Anakin admitted. "But I know Master Obi-Wan is very good," he told them.

 

"Can he come teach us?"

 

"Please, Master Anakin!"

 

"That would be the best!"

 

He nodded with a small smile. "I'm sure I can convince him to come give a lesson," he said, half distracted. Saying Obi-Wan's name had reminded him of the situation, of the growing emptiness he could feel in his chest. "Now go. I know Master Yoda has assigned a difficult chapter of Galactic Relations for you all."

 

His students left and he was alone with his thoughts, sitting in the middle of the training mat wondering whether Obi-Wan was safe. He could tell his former master was alive; a steady thrumming in his veins reminded him of that. But there was an ache, slowly increasing in weight, behind his heart, and he dragged himself back to their rooms on heavy feet.

 

 

The first night was bad. The bed felt three times too big, the sheets much too cold. He had so quickly gotten used to sleeping beside Obi-Wan that now it felt weird to be sleeping alone.

 

The ache from the afternoon now pressed against him like a physical weight, keeping him still against the mattress, helpless in a way he hated. Worry gnawed away at him long after the moon set and well after the sun rose.

 

 

 

He left the rooms for the morning meal on the second day, though he barely had the energy. He ate slowly, hardly tasting the prepared fruits. Mundi eyed him cautiously from across the dining hall, but Finn actually approached him.

 

"General Skywalker, are you feeling unwell?"

 

Anakin looked up, half a glare on his face. He debated between lying and telling the truth, and eventually decided on somewhere in the middle.

 

"I didn't sleep well last night," he admitted, and Finn nodded, but he remaind unconvinced. Anakin remembered what Obi-Wan had said about the medic's observations.

 

"If you require aid, I'm happy to offer it."

 

Anakin inclined his head in thanks.

 

"I'll be sure to take you up on that should the need arise."

 

 

He spent the rest of the day in bed, though he got little sleep. The bond tugged at him, weighed him down, left him feeling wrung out and exhausted. His chest ached constantly, and a loneliness like he had never felt settled itself into his veins. It consumed him, freezing his bones and wrecking his emotions.

 

Somewhere around midnight on the second night he realized he couldn't actually feel Obi-Wan in the bond. It had become only a heavy center of pain and worry and anxiety, cut off from its other half. All the things he felt were his own, and he hated how weak it made him. But he couldn't help the worry that lapped at him until he drowned in it, losing himself to this beast of emotional pain that wrung his eyes dry and strangled him.

 

 

 

The third day was the worst. Anxiety ripped through him, keeping him from sleeping but leaving him exhausted. He felt useless, left victim to the things the Jedi so despised. He supposed it was for these reasons, this crippling fear and sadness that took away all his strength and ability.

 

Constantly, he searched the bond, looking for its other half, or even something to appease its lonely, sorrowful hunger. He found nothing, only static that pierced through his heart stronger than a blaster or a saber ever could.

 

 

A knock on the door forced him out of bed, and he was sure he looked a mess when he pulled the door open.

 

Master Shaak Ti regarded him from the doorway.

 

"You are a mess, Skywalker," she told him.

 

"Thanks. Why are you here?"

 

"We've received word from Master Kenobi," she said, and Anakin's attention focused on her. "There's been a problem with the negotiations. The rival tribe sparked a small rebellion, and they've taken the central government building. The entire government office, along with Master Kenobi, are being held as hostages. We're currently working on a way to solve the insurgence peacefully and quickly."

 

A thousand new emotions rolled through Anakin in quick succession, leaving him wrung out. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could survive.

 

Ti looked at him with a more calculating eye. 

 

"Have you been to see Finn?" she asked.

 

Anakin shook his head.

 

"Go see him," she told him. "At least get a solid night's sleep. You're no use dead on your feet."

 

Anakin hated to admit it, but she made a convincing argument.

 

"Alright," he agreed. 

 

"I'll update you when we receive any more news from Obi-Wan," she said. "Do you need me to walk you to the Healer's?"

 

"No," Anakin sighed, shaking his head. "Thank you."

 

 

 

Three days turned to four and five and six, and the gaping hole of the bond didn't get easier to deal with. If anything, it grew worse, stronger in its intensity and deeper in its pain.

 

Finn had contained him in the medical wing. Anakin would have complained about it, did complain the first day Attros kept him hostage, but he had lost the will to fight. His entire body was consumed by the ache of the Force reaching out to a half it couldn't find.

 

Finn left him mostly alone, offering sleeping tablets and caf shots and protein rations periodically. He asked a few questions about the Force, but Anakin couldn't explain it. Not to him, to someone who didn't understand. Obi-Wan had told him the way Anakin felt and saw the Force was unique even among the most notable Jedi; it seemed now that that unique connection had rebelled against him, focusing all his energy on the attempts to connect with Obi-Wan. As each day passed he felt more and more drained, as if his life energy was slowly draining away, leaving him an empty shell that, somehow, still had tears to cry and aches to suffer.

 

 

 

The eighth day was the end. Anakin had dozed into a limbo between sleep and consciousness the day before, gaining some respite from the turmoil within his body and his emotions. He could feel the moment Obi-Wan returned to Coruscant, though. It ripped through him in a similar way the aching pain had, only this time it was relief so overwhelming that Anakin's vision whited out and his entire world narrowed down to the connection of their bond.

 

Their bond, which had flared to life in a burst like an explosion and burned hot and bright and fast like a wildfire. Anakin pushed himself out of the bed, stumbled through the door and down the hall, clumsily following the yanking of the Force.

 

It led him to the hanger, where Obi-Wan's ship had just landed. Anakin held onto the frame of the doorway he stood in, physically weak from the renewed onslaught of feeling, this time less heartbreaking.

 

 

His Force signature curled around the room, searching, until blue found gold and he could literally feel the contentment in the bond as if it were a cat who had just found the sunniest spot to lay in. Their signatures curled together, a deep satisfaction radiating from the connection.

 

Obi-Wan emerged from the ship, then, stumbling on shaking legs, and quick burning anger whipped up in Anakin. It took too long to get Obi-Wan out, off the planet and out of harm's way. Too long to get him back, to get him back _safely._

Only, Anakin realized then that there was no pain in their bond, nothing at all to indicate any injury Obi-Wan could have sustained. No, he realized that Obi-Wan was feeling exactly everything Anakin felt, relief and joy in tenfold, eagerly pushing away the aching and grief from eight days of being split in two.

 

 

 

They met somewhere in the middle. Anakin collapsed into Obi-Wan, no longer able to support the weight of his emotions and his body.

 

"Never again," he whispered against Obi-Wan's collarbone, face pressed into his neck. He missed this, Obi-Wan's presence around him like a blanket, arms around him warm and solid.

 

"Never, ever again, you can't leave me."

 

Obi-Wan ran shaking hands through Anakin's hair, down his shoulders and back, up his arms and between his robe and tunic.

 

"I won't, I _won't_ , I promise, I swear I won't..."

 

They whispered back and forth, whether out loud or in each other's heads, Anakin didn't know, but he didn't care. Obi-Wan wrapped around him had never felt so good, but he needed more.

 

He tugged at Obi-Wan's robe, pulled against the front and sides, eventually grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the hanger and down the hallway. "Now, now, come _on_ ," he urged, though Obi-Wan did not hesitate in following. They rather ungracefully made their way to their rooms, and as soon as the door shut behind them, Anakin pressed Obi-Wan to it, using his whole body to cage Obi-Wan beneath him.

 

"No separation," Obi-Wan said, voice wrecked like Anakin had never heard, and Anakin hummed in agreement, sucking kisses along Obi-Wan's neck and jaw. His hands were tight on his waist, holding them together, holding Obi-Wan still when he pushed towards Anakin.

 

"Kiss me - stars, kiss me, _kiss me_  - "

 

Anakin surged up to Obi-Wan's lips, kiss instantly open-mouthed and heated. Passion burned between them like it never had before, fueled by days of separation amplified by a thousand because of the bond.

 

Obi-Wan's hands curled and uncurled in a staccato in the front of Anakin's robes until he eventually pushed them off in a desperate move to get to more of _Anakin._  Need blazed through him stronger than he had ever experienced, a need to touch and feel and hold and Obi-Wan felt incredibly out of his depth, but then Anakin moaned into his mouth and pushed harder against him and Obi-Wan could think of nothing else besides this exact moment and the drive to get his hands on Anakin's skin.

 

Obi-Wan pulled away with a gasp, both of them breathing hard, chests brushing with every intake. "I need - touch, I need -" Obi-Wan stuttered, half-heartedly pushing at the ties on Anakin's tunic.

 

"Yeah, okay, yeah," Anakin breathed, surprisingly soft, shrugging quickly out of his tunic and getting Obi-Wan's off just as fast.

 

Obi-Wan pressed forward into another kiss, swiping his tongue along Anakin's bottom lip and dragging it between his teeth, pushing away from the wall until they were stumbling further into the room and towards the bedroom, barely making it for stopping to kiss until they couldn't breathe and touch until their bodies were memorized.

 

 

 

"We should probably talk about that," Obi-Wan said later, much later, soft in the dim light and rough in a way that sent sparks shooting down Anakin's spine.

 

"I think it's obvious that long distance separation is off the table," Anakin said. "For extended periods of time."

 

"But how far, and how long? We need to test it."

 

He had a point, Anakin had to admit.

 

"Not right now, though," Anakin said. "I can't handle that again so soon."

 

"Neithet could I," Obi-Wan agreed, pressing a kiss against Anakin's shoulder. "We'll get there."

 

"What are we going to tell the Council?"

 

"Nothing for now. We'll deal with it when it comes up," Obi-Wan shrugged. Anakin didn't like the uncertainty that presented.

 

"What if we're reinstated to different posts?"

 

"I doubt we will be," Obi-Wan said. "Besides, maybe we can build up a tolerance, to where a few days apart aren't bad."

 

Anakin hummed, mulling over the idea. It made sense from all logical standpoints, and the only drawback he could think of was subjecting himself to that emotional stress again. At least this time, he would know what to expect.

 

"Just go to sleep, Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured. "I certainly know you need it."

 

"Love you," Anakin whispered, letting his eyes drift shut, sleep easy to find with their Force bond so close and content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i kind of don't love this chapter, and i'll probably go back over at some point and expand it a little more
> 
> [update 4/18/17] chapter updated!!


	10. it's you that i've waited for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok first I would like to apologize for my extended absence. I've finally adjusted to that college life, but I have had zero inspiration to write anything. And I happened to have misplaced my outline for the rest of this story, so updates will probably be a little slower now that I have to reimagine everything. this one's kind of short, but I promise I haven't forgotten about this, and I'm working on it!

Obi-Wan wasn’t in the bed when Anakin woke up the next morning. Instead, he found a data pad with a note,

_Council briefing on my mission, be back for lunch._

Anakin looked at the clock; it was nearly lunchtime. He got up and changed his clothes, finding, in the process, something he had put on his nightstand to discuss with Obi-Wan when he returned. Anakin picked it up with a decisive nod. Time to get to work.

 

The floor in their shared quarters was covered in a thin mat from of the training rooms when Obi-Wan returned.

“What’s this?” he called, slipping his shoes off at the door and walking onto the mat.

Anakin appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. 

"Here," he said, approaching Obi-Wan with a piece of dark cloth in one hand. "I have an idea."

"Oh no," Obi-Wan replied, amusement coloring his tone. He had no real reason to worry about Anakin's schemes, here at least.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "It's a blindfold."

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrow, and a colorful blush bloomed across Anakin’s cheeks.

“The bond,” Anakin continued, clearing his throat. "Blocking out our eyesight will make us focus more on the bond."

"Sounds safe," Obi-Wan mumbled, the corner of his mouth quirking at Anakin's irritation.

“Don’t you trust me?"

“Of course. It’s your ideas I don’t trust."

Anakin’s laugh was sarcastic.

“Come on. It’ll be fun.”

“Because that makes me feel so much better."

Anakin looked ready to plead with him some more.

“I’m just giving you a hard time,” Obi-Wan reassured him. “Here, tie this on."

Anakin's fingers were light and quick, and brushed against Obi-Wan's hair most definitely on purpose.

The cloth was soft and dark, blocking out all the light. Obi-Wan resisted the urge to feel around with his hands.

"Now what?" he asked. Anakin's light laugh ghosted across the back of his neck.

"Now we spar," he said. Obi-Wan listened intently, hearing the soft shuffle of Anakin's feet against the mat as he walked around. A saber was pressed into his hand; a practice one, based on the way in felt to hold.

He listened, hearing Anakin pick up his own saber.

“I feel like you have an unfair advantage,” Obi-Wan said. Anakin snickered, but said nothing.

It was entirely silent for a long moment, and then there was a quiet _woosh_ of air that Obi-Wan had half a second to figure was Anakin’s saber arcing towards him. He threw his own saber up in the direction he thought Anakin’s would be coming from, and couldn’t help the delighted smile on his face as he heard the thud of their practice sabers.

“Not so bad, right?” Anakin said, and Obi-Wan could hear the smirk.

“Maybe not,” he shrugged, and shuffled his feet into a more defensive stance. Blindfolded, he figured he’d be better at defending himself than trying to lunge for Anakin totally in the darkness.

They danced around the mat, and Obi-Wan thought of what an interesting sight it must be. He felt rather proud of himself, hearing on extremely high awareness, as he followed Anakin around. But it wasn’t just his other senses heightened to make up for his eyesight; lack of typical vision produced a strange black world behind the mask where Obi-Wan could swear he could see Anakin as a blur of blue energy.

“You’re better at this than I thought you would be,” Anakin admitted, somewhere off to Obi-Wan’s left. Obi-Wan grinned, debating about whether or not to tell Anakin about the strange Force sight. A by-product of their bond, no doubt.

“What were you expecting?” Obi-Wan replied. “Me to stumble and trip over my feet, swinging my saber at empty space?”

“Something like that,” Anakin laughed. Obi-Wan swung out at him suddenly, deciding to try the offensive.

Anakin yelped as Obi-Wan’s practice saber crashed into his side. Obi-Wan lifted the blindfold off his eyes, a little out of breath, grinning. He was met with Anakin's fake glare.

"Oh, come off it,” Obi-Wan said. Anakin shook his head, losing the fight against his smile. 

“I told you you’d like it.”

“You did,” Obi-Wan shrugged. 

Anakin stepped closer, reaching out to take the cloth the rest of the way off. He stood much closer than necessary. He bent down and Obi-Wan met him halfway, neck craned to press his lips against Anakin's. Anakin's fingers curled around the cloth, and as it slipped from around Obi-Wan's head, Anakin stepped back.

Obi-Wan's eyes fluttered open, taking in Anakin's flushed face and dark eyes.

"My turn."

Obi-Wan watched Anakin slip the dark material over his eyes, admiring the contrast of the cloth against his tanned skin. He waited in silence as Anakin adjusted to the blindness, readying his saber.

Anakin threw the practice saber between his hands, rolling his head around his shoulders.

“Ready?” he asked, and Obi-Wan smirked. He shifted forward slightly.

“You cheater!” Anakin exclaimed, and Obi-Wan laughed. “You could see me!”

Obi-Wan continued to laugh as Anakin chased him around mats covering the floor of their quarters.


	11. in a rush, out of luck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so I didn't want to post this one until I had the next one all written, so that's finally done! this will probably end up being more than 15 chapters, as I've added at least two already, but the action is starting to hype up so yay plot! anyway, hope you guys enjoy!

There was a knock on their door sometime in the evening. Anakin untangled himself from Obi-Wan on the sofa to answer it, drawing his Force signature away from Obi-Wan's in the process, unsure of who would be at the door.

It was Attros Finn.

"Good evening, Master Finn," Anakin greeted. Finn inclined his head.

Obi-Wan leaned across the sofa, trying to see out the door around Anakin.

"If you're looking for Obi-Wan, he's right here," Anakin said. He stepped aside, opening the door and motioning for Finn to enter. The healer stepped into the room. 

"I'm sorry to disturb you," he began. Obi-Wan waved a hand.

"It's no bother."

"I think I have found an explanation for the strange Force shift I noticed."

Anakin sat down on the couch with a mildly amused look at Obi-Wan.

"Pray tell," Obi-Wan said, leaning forward. Attros began his explanation.

"When you, Master Kenobi, brought Anakin to me, I am fairly certain he died. But not for very long. I believe that was when the shift occurred. Master Kenobi, if you recall, you blacked out around the same time. There must have been some effort in the Force, perhaps from your training bond, to keep Anakin alive.

"I believe it to be a life bond, or a soul bond. I've only ever heard of them in theory, but...it is the only thing that could explain the circumstances. The shift in your Force signatures is what I imagine a soul bond would be like as well."

Obi-Wan nodded along to his speech. It all made sense, only...

"The shift in our Force signatures?" Obi-Wan asked. 

"Anyone who knew you before could be able to sense the difference," Finn replied. "Before, you were two separate signatures, close and connected, but definitely separate. Now, you are one, two halves of one Force signature. It is truly remarkable."

Anakin kept an eye on Obi-Wan as Attros explained, and watched as his face turned an alarming shade of white. Anakin stood up from the sofa almost too hastily.

"Thank you so much for coming to tell us about your findings," Anakin said. He gently ushered Finn to the door. "We really appreciate it. If we have any questions, we'll be sure to let you know."

Finn bowed slightly at the door. "I am glad I could help, and I'm always willing to try and answer your questions."

Anakin watched him walk down the hall before closing the door with a slightly panicked exhale.

"Obi-Wan?" he called. 

“Yes?” He sounded distracted.

Anakin sat gently on the sofa next to him. “Are you okay?”

“I-yes.” He shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“Obi-Wan…”

“I’m not,” Obi-Wan admitted. “Is it really that obvious?”

Anakin swallowed the retort about being emotionally connected. “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Anakin said instead.

“Will it?” Obi-Wan turned his gaze on him. It was a powerful, searching one. He looked afraid.

“Obi-Wan…” Anakin repeated. Obi-Wan made to stand up, but Anakin grabbed his wrist and held it tightly.

“Obi-Wan, listen to me. We’re in this together, remember? We face the Council together.”

“Something tells me that wouldn’t go well,” Obi-Wan muttered. Anakin found his hand and held it.

“They can’t separate us, if that’s what you’re worried about. They wouldn’t risk any damage to your health.”

Obi-Wan looked up at him, brows creased. “Or yours.”

“I know how the Council feels about me,” Anakin said, brushing off the comment. “They would do anything to hold onto their most valued Jedi, though.”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes with a sigh, and pulled his hand from Anakin’s. There was a rush of anger, regret, and disappoint through their bond, and the pieces suddenly fell together.

“They won’t expel you,” he said, quieter this time. Obi-Wan shook his head.

“You can’t know that for sure.”

“They won’t,” he repeated, more conviction behind his voice.

“Anakin, please. Don’t.”

Obi-Wan stood, then, walking into his bedroom without a word, and closed the door behind him. Anakin fell back into the sofa with a sigh, settling in for a night on the couch. His last thoughts before falling asleep were that he wished Obi-Wan wasn’t such a great Jedi. The Council had had such a negative effect on his life.

  
  
  


Anakin woke before Obi-Wan for once. He groaned as he shifted, rolling his shoulders to release the tension. He stood up and made his way to the kitchen, rummaging around in the cabinets for something to make for breakfast.

Obi-Wan emerged just as the smell of coffee began to drift through their rooms. His hair was ruffled, his clothes rumpled. Anakin noticed that he had slept in the robes he wore yesterday.

There was a brief moment, as Obi-Wan sat down, where the tension from the night before threatened to make itself known again, but Anakin refused to have this fight.

“You look horrible,” he said by way of greeting, pushing a cup of tea across the counter towards Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan half glared at him from under his eyebrows.

“Thanks.” His voice matched his appearance. Anakin doubted he got much sleep.

“Did you sleep on the couch?” he asked. Anakin hummed in affirmation.

“Didn’t want to bother you,” he said softly. The toaster dinged, then, saving him from further comment. He was spreading some new foreign jam onto their toast when Obi-Wan made a soft, happy noise behind him.

“Tea?” he asked. Anakin smiled to himself. 

“I know you prefer it to coffee.”

A small wave of warmth washed over him, like ripples in the shallows of an ocean around his ankles. He carried the plates of toast to the table where Obi-Wan sat, taking the seat across from him.

“You didn’t have to make me breakfast,” Obi-Wan said. “I was the one who stormed off last night.”

Anakin shrugged. “I know how you’re feeling about all this,” he said. “Literally,” he added, and was happy to see the upwards quirk in Obi-Wan’s mouth, if only briefly. “It’s sort of my fault anyway.”

“Anakin -”

“What?” Anakin said, taking a bite of the toast. “It is.”

“I don’t want to go over that again,” Obi-Wan frowned.

“If I had been more careful, I wouldn’t have been hit, and your Force signature wouldn’t have tried to save me.”

“If you had been more careful, you wouldn’t be the Anakin I know.”

Anakin’s laugh was short and not amused.

“I’m not that worried about them expelling me,” Obi-Wan said after a pause. “Since...all this, I guess I’ve lost a lot of the esteem I used to hold for them. If they want to kick me out because of something the Force did, and not I, well then, I suppose that’s for the best.”

Anakin waited in silence as Obi-Wan chewed, his expression pensive. 

“No, I’m not worried about me. You, on the other hand…”

“Why? They already don’t like me. What’s one more thing on the list?”

Obi-Wan rubbed at his forehead. “That’s just it, Anakin. Maybe this is the last straw. I have no control over what they could do to you. And I suppose that scares me.”

There was a rush of the heat Anakin had come to associate with protectiveness, paired with the coldness that came with Obi-Wan’s anger. “Obi-Wan…”

Anakin was interrupted by the chiming of both their comms. 

“Council meeting,” Obi-Wan read, and the air in the room grew a little heavier.

“Now or never, I guess,” Anakin said, depositing his plate in the sink and shrugging on his robe. Obi-Wan rose with a bone-weary sigh.

At the door, he grabbed Anakin’s wrist, wrapping his hand in both of his own.

“I love you,” he said, softly and earnest. Anakin brought him into a hug, pressing a kiss to his temple.

“Always.”


	12. until both my eyes were faded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!! new chapter !!!!! i'm so sorry yall i've been tied up with real life and college and work and all that ridiculousness and i really haven't had any motivation or inspiration for writing until recently (@ my rogue one feels PLS LEAVE ME ALONE) and i sat down like 5 hours ago to deal with this fic and busted out like 13 pages of two new chapters and outlined the following two. after this chapter, i suspect there to be maybe three more. my goal is to have this done by sometime in may, so fingers crossed. finals are coming up and astronomy is kind of kicking my ass but this is how i destress so hopefully it'll get done (!!!)
> 
> this is why i don't write long fics. i've been through the round with this one. for a while i came to really dislike it and i kind of hated how far away the plot got from me, but i've mostly gotten over that thanks to all your wonderful comments and encouragements. i still kind of don't like how many side plots i lowkey dropped and how it didn't quite work out how i wanted, but oh well.
> 
> anyway, enough from me. it's been long enough. enjoy this one! it's longer than the other ones have been, because of ~plot~ but also a long-ass sparring scene bc i super love writing those
> 
> also, chapter titles! yay! all titles adapted from won't stop by onerepublic
> 
> UPDATE : chapter 6 has been rewritten! It's not horribly important to the plot to reread it, but it's much better now, and I think it's worth the reread anyway :)

The Council had a wonderful way of making Obi-Wan feel like an inadequate youngling. He was a Jedi master, the youngest ever on the Council, master of the Chosen One, and yet, standing in the center of the room with all the eyes of the other masters on him, he felt like an insolent child waiting to be disciplined. And if the way Anakin’s emotions agitated their bond like boiling water was anything to go by, he felt a similar way.

 

“Master Kenobi,” Mace greeted. “Skywalker.”

 

They inclined their heads. Obi-Wan felt Anakin’s hand twitch beside his at the lack of title, and he did his best to send a soothing wave through their bond. His own turbulent emotions made it rather difficult.

 

“The nature of the disturbance we discussed last time has been discovered.”

 

“Oh?” Obi-Wan said.

 

“A soul bond has been created,” Yoda said. “Such a bond, never have I seen.”

 

“What does that have to do with us?” Anakin asked. Obi-Wan held a hand out in front of him as subtly as he could. Anakin briefly glanced at him from the corner of his eye, wishing for once that Obi-Wan didn’t try to so hard to placate the Council. For once, he wanted Obi-Wan to get mad, to show an emotion to the Council that wasn’t resigned acceptance.

 

“Don’t play dumb with me, Skywalker,” Mace said, eyes narrowed.

 

“Alright then.” Anakin squared his shoulders and held his chin a little higher, staring Mace down.

 

“Know of this bond, you do,” Yoda continued, addressing Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan looked away from Anakin’s staring match and met Yoda’s gaze.

 

“I do,” Obi-Wan agreed. “In fact, I-”

 

“No.” Anakin was quick to cut him off. He stepped around to face Obi-Wan, his back to the Council. In an instant, the room shrank from the great Council Hall to just an isolated bubble around the two of them. 

 

_ I know what you’re going to say _ . Anakin’s voice rung loudly in his mind. He leaned close to Obi-Wan, much closer than proprietary called for.  _ It’s not your fault, and they don’t deserve an apology. _

 

_ Anakin, I have to. _ Obi-Wan’s protest sounded weak, even to himself.

 

_ No, you don’t. This is about the both of us, and we face it together. I don’t care what happens, and you shouldn’t either. Together, or not at all, right? Don’t apologize. _

 

Obi-Wan sighed and nodded.  _ Okay. _

 

Anakin resumed his position at Obi-Wan’s side. The faces on the Council members would have been comical had the situation not been so serious.

 

“Care to share?” Mace asked. The sarcasm in his tone was palpable, and his forehead was creased with either anger or confusion, Anakin couldn’t tell. Probably both

 

“Yes, we know of the bond,” Anakin said, looking at Obi-Wan for just a moment. Mace looked like he was trying very hard not to groan in frustration.

 

“What is the nature of your soul bond?” Yoda asked. He watched them with a careful eye, and Anakin had a feeling his questions were merely for show.

 

“I’m not entirely sure,” Obi-Wan said. “I believe it originated as a sort of life preservation attempt.”

 

“When would such an attempt have been necessary?” Mundi asked.

 

“After our most recent mission,” Obi-Wan said. He swallowed. “Anakin died.”

 

There was a fast wave of quiet murmurs among the members.

 

“Master Finn, can you confirm this?” Mace asked. All eyes turned to the healer.

 

“I can,” he replied. “General Skywalker died. The Force must have reached out to him through Master Kenobi to bring him back.”

 

“The Force is responsible for this?” Mace asked. Finn nodded.

 

“As far as I can tell.”

 

Mace sighed. “This is a blatant disregard of the Code,” he said. “And-”

 

“And if the will of the Force, it is,” Yoda interrupted. “Then that way, it will be.”

 

That was clearly not the way the discussion was meant to go, if the reaction of the Council members were to be considered. Yoda continued, ignoring the commotion around him.   


“A new assignment, there is for you,” he said. “Go first, Skywalker will, and Master Kenobi will follow.”

 

Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a glance.

 

“New assignment?” Anakin ventured.   
  


“Rumors of a Sith lord in the Outer Rim,” Yoda said. “Investigate, you will.”

 

“Skywalker leaves tonight,” Mace added. “Kenobi, you’re to follow tomorrow.”

 

“Why?” Anakin asked.

 

“Speak with Master Kenobi, I must,” Yoda said. He offered no further comment.

 

There was a short, awkward silence, full of the kind of tension that comes from having words on the tip of your tongue but the inability to speak them.

 

“If that’s all…” Anakin said.   
  


“Dismissed,” Mace declared with a wave of his hand.

 

Obi-Wan followed Anakin out, posture set into a tense, rigid line.

  
  


“That could have gone worse,” Anakin said once they were in the hall away from the Council.

 

“Or better.”

 

“They didn’t kick us out,” Anakin said. “Or kill us.”

 

“They wouldn’t have killed us,” Obi-Wan replied. He suddenly turned to Anakin with a strange kind of fierce intensity in his eyes. “Anakin, this is not over yet.”

 

Anakin nodded, biting back any kind of sarcastic comment he had. Now was not the time.

 

The rest of the walk was silent and tense. Anakin found his thoughts angry, the feeling directed at the Council. They had perfected the way to ruin his mood, it seemed, and always managed to turn Obi-Wan into some kind of rigid mute. Council meetings always left a bad taste in his mouth and an angry residue in his Force signature. He did his best to control his feelings, for he didn’t want to bother Obi-Wan any more than he had to. They tried to turn Obi-Wan into some kind of poster child, a goal, a guideline, forcing his spine to be a little straighter and his actions a little less free. Anakin wasn’t blind to the weight the Council situated on Obi-Wan’s shoulders; while they harped on Anakin at every corner, they relied on Obi-Wan to carry them over every obstacle. 

 

Anakin sighed. He was supposed to be calming himself down, not making himself angier. There wasn’t anything he could do.

 

“How do you feel about sparring?”

  
  
  


Their usual practice room was empty. Anakin picked up the training sabers from the box by the wall, and tossed one to Obi-Wan.

 

“You know,” he said, the beginnings of a smirk on his face. “This is becoming a habit.”

 

Anakin shrugged.

 

“What can I say? Meeting with the Council just makes me want to beat something up.” 

 

“Oh, great,” Obi-Wan said, a fake glare leveled at Anakin. “What makes you so sure you’ll beat me?”

 

Anakin twirled his saber around beside him, testing the weight. “I’m not,” he admitted. It was nice to see Obi-Wan not so concerned about the meeting and new mission for the time being. “But I have confidence in my abilities.”

 

“Of course,” Obi-Wan agreed, nodding almost sarcastically. He picked up a piece of black cloth off the ground. “Which one of us gets the honor this time?” he asked.

 

Anakin tilted his head the side, considering. He remembered the Force-vision from the last time they sparred with blindfolds, and how the sparring had rather quickly dissolved into other  _ strenuous _ activities.

 

“Why not both of us?” he proposed. Obi-Wan seemed to hesitate, glancing from the blindfold to the saber and then to Anakin.

 

“Well,” he started, and stopped. He sighed, and Anakin cheered internally.

 

“Think of it as an experiment,” he said, but he knew he had already won Obi-Wan over.

 

“I suppose,” Obi-Wan agreed, and Anakin grinned. He approached Obi-Wan, picking up another cloth from the floor.

 

“I do you and you do me?” he said, a lewd smirk on his face. Obi-Wan sighed, pretending to be frustrated, but Anakin could feel his amusement and attraction mixing in with his own.

 

Obi-Wan muttered rather indignantly as they tied the blindfolds around each other’s eyes.

 

“You’re lucky I put up with you,” he said. “And that the room is empty.”

 

“Come now, Obi-Wan,” Anakin laughed. “You know you love me.”

 

“Force knows why,” Obi-Wan said, chuckling himself and shaking his head. Anakin stepped away from him then and to the other side of the mat. The vaguely familiar black world from before returned, everything dark and unshaped except for the constantly shifting blob of blue light Obi-Wan knew was Anakin. 

 

“Ready?” Anakin said, and Obi-Wan nodded.

 

“Whenever you are.”

 

It was a singularly unique feeling, sparring like this. Which, Obi-Wan mused, had become a way he described all of their practicing since the Force bond. Anakin’s movements looked simultaneously more and less graceful like this; they were more fluid than usual, but the Force moved around him in unpredictable patterns, distorting the shape of him.

 

“Are you going to hit me, or what?” Anakin taunted. Obi-Wan didn’t bother responding. Anakin launched at him, then, coming in from Obi-Wan’s right side, which he knew Obi-Wan often neglected. Obi-Wan swung around in the dark, fending off the oncoming blue storm the best he could. He couldn’t tell where Anakin’s saber would strike from, but he knew his former padawan’s fighting style well enough to guess.

 

They moved around the floor in circles and figure-eights, matching strike for strike and blocking every one. It was fighting like this that delighted Anakin; motions less like fighting an opponent and more like dancing with a partner, movements not memorized but easily executed anyway. Neither had gotten a hit since they begin, and they alternated on the offensive and defensive as they moved around the room.

 

Obi-Wan spun around like a beautiful thing made of spiraling golden lights, each strand twisting around the others in a way that was equal parts dangerous and mesmerizing. There was a kind of whispered power in his fighting that Anakin could see without the blindfolds, but it was even more pronounced now, when all he could see was this Force object.

 

Obi-Wan smirked to himself as he felt Anakin’s Force signature grow a little fond and a little distracted. Anakin hardly had time to register the swift change in Obi-Wan’s emotions before there was a quick succession of hits to each arm, his side, and the back of his leg.

 

Anakin landed on his knees, sputtering. He lifted the blindfold up to his forehead and glared up at Obi-Wan, who had pushed his blindfold up as well.

 

“Distractions, Anakin,” Obi-Wan scolded, a stupidly smug smile on his face.

 

“Yes, Master,” Anakin replied, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

 

Obi-Wan shifted and Anakin stood.

 

“I like this style,” Obi-Wan said. “Since we were bonded, my connection to the Force feels so much stronger. It’s incredible. And sparring like this, it’s like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.”

 

Anakin smiled, a small, genuine one. “Does that mean you’re ready for a second round?”

 

“Of course,” Obi-Wan grinned, sliding his blindfold back down and taking a step back from Anakin, raising his practice saber before him. 

 

This round was even more energetic than the first one. They pushed harder, circled closer, struck more often. There was a passion building between them, a mixing of blue and gold they could both see in the darkness.

 

Anakin came at Obi-Wan with a rapid series of blows, switching the saber back and forth as fast as he could. Obi-Wan barely managed to deflect the attacks, taking several steps back as he parried Anakin’s advance.

 

In a small opening, Obi-Wan ducked around Anakin, taking the offensive, leading a round of twirling hits. The black space around them began to brighten as their Force signatures expanded to fill the space in the room, mixing with each other in a way they had not often allowed them to. Blue and gold light shimmered through the air, almost distracting in its soft, gentle motion.

 

The tables had shifted, and Anakin took advantage of Obi-Wan’s distraction to take him down. Or tried, anyway. The blow had Obi-Wan on his knees, but he twisted away from Anakin and rolled into a standing jump, dodging Anakin’s next swing. He leaned to the left and then the right, moving his body out of the way of Anakin’s saber. Once he regained a more comfortable footing, he began to parry the strikes and make some of his own, and they launched into another dancing round around the mat, a graceful blend of swings, jumps, and turns that spanned the length and width of the mat, alternating in bringing them close together and sending them far apart.

 

It felt like flying, really, the ease of spinning around the mat after Anakin, dodging hits and getting in a few of his own.

 

They met in the middle of the floor, sabers pushed together, faces close. Anakin grinned and freed one hand to push Obi-Wan’s blindfold off his face. Obi-Wan laughed, releasing the pressure against Anakin’s saber. Anakin let his own blindfold fall to the floor, smile not fading. Obi-Wan’s face was flush, hair in slight disarray, and there was a great happiness flowing between them that they only really seemed to achieve when they sparred.

 

“A unique way to fight, that is.”

 

They both spun around, thrown out of their stupor by the voice of Yoda from the doorway. Windu and Mundi stood behind the small green Jedi, both wearing nearly matching looks of surprise.

 

“Masters,” Obi-Wan said, bowing. Anakin followed as an afterthought.

 

“Skywalker,” Windu said, “your ship leaves in an hour.”

 

“Yes, Master,” Anakin replied, but made no effort to move from Obi-Wan’s side.

 

“May I ask why you were sparring with blindfolds?” Mundi asked, tone more curious than anything.

 

“A Jedi should be able to fight in all conditions,” Anakin shrugged. Obi-Wan laughed.

 

“A by-product of the soul bond,” he added. “We’ve found that we’re more in tune with each other now than before.”

 

“An interesting way, the Force has,” Yoda agreed with a surprisingly solemn nod. “Such grace and skill in sparring, I have not seen before.”

 

Obi-Wan bowed again, and he could feel the grin Anakin sent his way, both physically and through the Force.

 

“Have you sparred with blindfolds before?” Mundi asked. Anakin shrugged.

 

“Once,” he said, “but only one of us wore one.”

 

Windu looked displeased, but before he could get in a comment, Yoda had ambled his way over to Obi-Wan and Anakin.

 

“General Skywalker,” he said. “Your mission briefing awaits. May the Force be with you.”

 

For once, Anakin recognized the dismissal for what it was, and bowed before making his way out of the room. He paused in the doorway, looking back to meet Obi-Wan’s eyes.

 

_ Be safe, _ came Obi-Wan’s gentle warning. Concern shifted just beneath the surface.

 

_ Always _ , Anakin smirked. He waited a moment longer, hesitant to leave, but he eventually ducked out of the doorway without another comment, things unsaid creating ripples through their bond.

 

“Masters,” Yoda said, addressing Windu and Mundi. “Matters to discuss with Master Kenobi, I have.”

 

They, too, left, not waiting like Anakin had, and then it was just Yoda and Obi-Wan left in the room.

  
“Obi-Wan,” Yoda said. “Tell me, what do you know of souls?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay!! anyway, expect a lot of plot to hit you in the next chapter. this will (probably) be the last time they spar, but don't worry, they'll get out in the field together soon...
> 
> sidenote, my writing style has changed a lot in the past year, and it feels a little weird going back to the way i was writing this, so hopefully it doesn't feel too choppy! i write a lot more present tense angst now than past tense fluff so whoops
> 
> comments and kudos are my lifeblood i love you all i'll be back soon i promise
> 
> ALSO don't forget to go back and reread CHAPTER 6 if you started this before 4/18/17!


	13. steal my bones from a thousand miles apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> update!! it's way later than i planned, but now i'm done with school for the summer, so i've got some free time before work starts. my goal is still to get this done by the end of the month, so hopefully that'll happen.
> 
> shout out and thank you always to everyone who kudoses and comments!! i'm super bad at responding to them (read: never), but i'm super awkward and usually don't know what to say, but i read them all and they always make my day. honestly, yall are the ones that are gonna get me to the end of this fic. so thanks.
> 
> also not beta read and only briefly swept through

The Outer Rim was as unpleasant as Anakin remembered it to be. It had only been a couple months, but he had not missed the cold, the dirt, the grime, and the scum that seemed to run rampant on the unfortunate planets this far out from the rest of the galaxy.

 

The first night of the mission was rather simple: meet with the informant on Kafrane and then wait for Obi-Wan before advancing on the lead. Anakin didn’t particularly like espionage, thought himself to be rather horrible at it, but this seemed easy enough.

 

Nothing on the Outer Rim ever went as it was supposed to, though, and Anakin cursed his stupidity as he darted into an alleyway.

 

The informant had been a bust. Or, more accurately, a set-up. Anakin found himself in a city square, alone, and in the dark. A sudden, dark laughter drifted up and around him, and then he was being fired upon. He dove for cover, running through back streets and buildings in an attempt to escape his pursuers. He found safety in an alley between two small houses, and he lent against the wall as he caught his breath and searched his surroundings through the Force.

 

Too late, he noticed the person on the ledge above him.

 

-

 

Master Yoda had led Obi-Wan to the meditation room he favored, instructing the younger Jedi to take a seat.

 

“Interesting things, souls are, hmm,” Yoda said, resting his chin on his crossed hands and regarding Obi-Wan with a look he had long come to associate with the elder’s ability to see through just about everything.

 

“Even more interesting, is yours and General Skywalker’s,” he added, and the beginnings of dread began to turn Obi-Wan’s blood cold. He had suspected Yoda knew much more than he let on, and he had wondered how much Yoda had told the other masters. It seemed now he would find out.

 

“Rare, Force bonds are,” Yoda continued. “Stories are all that I know. Extinct, I thought they were. Understand, the other Masters do not.

 

“The prophecy about balance in the Force. You know it, yes? Hm, of course.” He interrupted himself with that weird chuckling laugh. “Only one person, it is not.”

 

Obi-Wan regarded him carefully, a thousand thoughts buzzing around his head. He knew what Yoda was saying, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to accept that. He couldn’t be that significant.

 

“Balance in the Force, you and Skywalker will create.”

 

Yoda fell silent, and Obi-Wan remained so. He had grown up in the Temple hearing about the Chosen One, about the predicted balance in the Force. He had been so certain that it was Anakin, a being  _ created _ by the Force. Apparently…

 

“Troubled, you seem,” Yoda said. Obi-Wan shook his head.

 

“More...surprised.”

 

“An excellent Jedi, you are, Master Kenobi. Surprise, this is not.”

 

Obi-Wan shook his head. “I was so sure that it was Anakin. Qui-Gon was so sure.”

 

“Skywalker, it still is. But you, it is also. Long have we known Skywalker to be special,” Yoda said, and Obi-Wan got the feeling that  _ we _ didn’t include anyone not currently in the room. “Long have  _ I _ know Master Kenobi to be special. Your soul and the Force, long I have watched. Unique, the interactions are. Intertwined with golden light…”

 

Obi-Wan mulled over this, put off by the new information. He had never thought the Chosen  _ One _ could turn out to be more than one person, let alone  _ him.  _ A small part of him wasn’t as surprised; he had spent long enough with Anakin to know what they had was something uncommon even among those with little knowledge of the Force. Verbal confirmation, though, was something else.

 

Before he could think of a response, a sharp flare went up in his bond with Anakin - a quick and sudden pain woven closely with fear and apprehension. Obi-Wan stood up quickly, jolting out of his chair. Yoda squinted at him.

 

“It’s - it’s Anakin. The bond, I - he’s in trouble. He’s hurt. I have to - I have to go.” 

 

Obi-Wan left the room in a swirl of robes and desperation, half running to the hanger.

 

He jumped into the first ship ready for flight, prepping it faster than he ever had in his life. His hands shook with panic that wasn’t entirely his, and he cursed his clumsiness. Shouting from the ground drifted up to him, but he paid it no mind as he finally got the ship in the air. He made the jump to warp just as the calculations finished, following the coordinates from Anakin’s earlier departure, and he hoped he wouldn’t arrive too late.

 

-

 

Anakin came to in a dripping, dank, and dark cell. He assumed he was somewhere in the Underground on Kafrane.

 

“This is all rather homey,” he addressed the room as he stretched out with the Force, searching for signs of life. “But I’d prefer to not be here.”

 

Here, it appeared, consisted of metal restraints around his wrists and ankles, a hard metal chair, an empty duracrete room, and a few living things just beyond the walls of his cell. 

 

“Awesome,” he sighed. Doing a mental sweep of himself, he appeared uninjured. Just inconvenience. A moment more of internal searching and he found the Force bond with Obi-Wan in turmoil. He thought back to what he left right before he lost consciousness, and cursed himself for worrying Obi-Wan. No surprise his old master was harried and stressed, and already well on his way.

 

“So happy to see you awake.”

 

Anakin looked up see the new arrival. The man was average height, with dark skin and strange markings down his large forehead. Anakin could see some kind of shifting tattoo above the collar of his grimy jacket. 

 

“And you are?”

 

“Just a messenger,” the man shrugged, beginning to walk slowly around the room. Anakin didn’t fight the urge to roll his eyes.

 

“For who?”

 

“It seems you’ve come out here in search of someone,” the man said. “A  _ Sith  _ lord.”

 

“I’m following up on a lead,” Anakin said slowly. He carefully followed the man’s motions, tugging gently to test the strength of his bonds.

 

“Oh, of course. Well, you were. It seems, now, that you’ve been caught by the lead.”

 

Anakin’s brows furrowed in confusion. The Council didn’t give him enough information, didn’t have enough to give, on what he was supposed to be looking for out here, except that there had been murmurs of a new, dark power rising in the Outer Rim.

 

The door to the cell slid open again, and some kind of metallic orb floating into the room, followed by a figure in dark head-to-toe robes. Wrinkled and white hands emerged from the ends of the sleeves to pull down the hood.

 

“Palpatine?” Anakin asked, looking on in a kind of morbid surprise. The man before him shared a vague visual similarity with the former Chancellor, and the Force signature radiating from reminded Anakin of the one Palpatine carried the few times they met. But then he had left office and disappeared, and he had faded into a blurry memory tinged with barely an emotion. 

 

“Darth Sidious, if you prefer,” the former Chancellor said, a wicked kind of grin growing across his face. He looked at Anakin with sunken yellow eyes.  _ Found the Sith,  _ Anakin thought.  _ Rather, he found me _ , he amended dejectedly. So much for basic recon.

 

“I don’t, actually,” Anakin said. The grin became condescending.

 

“You have an interesting Force signature, General Skywalker,” Sidious said. Anakin grimaced. The orb floated closer to him. “I have some questions for you. I’m sure it won’t be any trouble.”

 

-

 

Obi-Wan pushed his way through the streets of Kafrane, searching for Anakin in an increasingly desperate state. He had just taken up a seat in the corner booth of the bar where Anakin was supposed to have met the informant when a wicked pain ripped through his head. He collapsed forward, breathing harsh.

 

“Shit,” he muttered, staggering to stand. The pain blurred his vision and made his knees shaky, but it made Anakin’s Force signature twice as bright, and Obi-Wan stumbled out of the bar, following its pull.

 

His vision was a wavering thing, between regular sight and the “Force-vision” he was accustomed to when he and Anakin sparred. Blue wisps curled around street corners and down alleys, thicker in some parts than in others, and Obi-Wan recognized it easily, by sight and feel. He followed it like a map, finding himself criss-crossing backways and dodging between buildings, until he stumbled upon a thick curl of it underneath a ledge. It faded beyond that.

 

Obi-Wan collapsed against the wall behind him, rubbing at his face in something akin to desperation. Their bond had not been tested like this before, but there must have been some outside force acting against them. Anakin carried half of his soul, for stars, he should be able to  _ find him. _

 

The sharp pain came back like a punch, accompanied by one in his chest, too, and he staggered forward. The bond with Anakin felt like it was blocked through with cotton, faint and stiff, but radiating a hurt strong enough for Obi-Wan to feel as his own. He searched around him, extending himself through the Force, finding nothing still.

 

He growled, pushing off the wall. In a movement much more than desperate, he yanked a piece of his robe and, tying it around his head, turned it into a makeshift blindfold, praying that it would work.

  
He could’ve cheered when the blackness was threaded through with faint blue energy, and he took off at a run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the plot finally arrives~  
> the next chapter will most likely be like twice as long, unless i cut it into two. we'll see. (hopefully) update soon!


	14. i stared at you from across the room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, it seems i'll never be able to keep a schedule. oh well. i'm trying to get my started fics finished before i start any more chapter fics, so i'll hopefully have this one done by the end of the summer. !! like a year and a half later than the big bang deadline. oh well. it's also not really coming out how i imagined it would near the end, and this chapter i feel is a little bland in some parts, but i tried. probably only one or two more chapters after this, with fighting and fluff and all that good stuff. enjoy!

The second time Anakin came to was much less pleasing. He ached, physically and mentally, and he had a headache like none he’d ever had. The little machine Palpatine had used was decidedly vicious.

 

The man from before, with the strange tattoo, was there when Anakin looked up.

 

“Welcome back,” he said, a deprecating grin on his face for a moment.

 

Anakin glared, but said nothing. He wasn’t sure his comment wouldn’t come out as a scratchy croak, anyways.

 

“Sidious’ll be back soon,” the man said. “Till then, I’m to keep an eye on you.”

 

_ Delightful. _ Anakin had not doubt the Sith would be back with the little orb again, or something stronger, and much more torture.

 

His questions had been about the anomaly in Anakin’s Force signature, the same one the Council had noticed before they knew it to be the Force bond. It seemed as though Palpatine was similarly in the dark about it; his questions had been about new Jedi training, Anakin’s heritage, and other useless inquires. And while most of Anakin was glad that Palpatine didn’t know about it, a part of him dreaded what was to come. He wondered how long he could hold out.

Some time had passed, but Anakin wasn’t sure how much. He drifted in and out of sleep that was more unconsciousness than anything else, letting his eyes close when they fluttered. There wasn’t much that he could do, arms tied tight enough behind him that his shoulders were sore and his fingers were tingling.

 

Each time he woke back up, his body hurt more. He had never seen a device like the one Palpatine had, had no idea what exactly it did to him. The only thing he knew for certain was that it hurt, beyond a physical pain. It was like lightning and needles, like someone invading his insides in search of something and leaving it a mess. Not for the first time, he wondered what the Sith were capable of that the Jedi Council had neglected to tell him. 

 

He remembered, eventually, that he knew Obi-Wan had left Coruscant in search of him. Silently, he hoped that Obi-Wan could find him, and quickly, but he dared not reach out too much for him, less Palpatine be monitoring his Force signature. Anakin wouldn’t risk Obi-Wan.

 

It was a thought he clung to when Palpatine returned, less genial and much more determined.

 

-

 

Three stories below ground, Obi-Wan ended up in front of a solid durasteel door with a latch across the front. Similar ones lined the hallway up to this one, but here was where Anakin’s energy had led him.

 

He wanted nothing more than to burst through the door immediately and find Anakin before any more time passed, but the logical part of him knew he couldn’t do that. Anakin was definitely not taken by some second-rate gangsters, and Obi-Wan had to be prepared. 

 

It took some considerable strength to walk away from the door, but there was someone Obi-Wan needed to see. He'd need information, a hand, and definitely something - rather, some _ one _ \- less civilized.

 

-

 

Perhaps the one thing Obi-Wan hated the most about these seedy bars on backplanet and Outer Rim territories was the noise. He could barely hear himself think, let alone speak, even from the back corner where he sat, waiting. It even dulled the feelings from the bond, thought Obi-Wan felt every strike of fear and pain as if it were happening to him.

 

The boy Obi-Wan had been waiting for finally slid into the booth, silent, hand on the gun in his side holster. And he was just that - a boy, no more than ten years of age, and yet already a powerful hand in the wild rebel troops at the edge of space.

 

“We hardly get visitors from Core worlds,” he said, looking over Obi-Wan with a sharp eye. A spy’s eye. “Let alone a General from the Jedi Council.”

 

“I'm here for more personal affairs, Lieutenant Andor. I'm looking to conduct a…search and recovery, of sorts.”

 

“Of what?”

 

“Of who, rather. Another Jedi General, sent here several hours before me in pursuit of a Sith.”

 

Obi-Wan had already shared more than he should have without permission, but it seemed to be enough for the boy, who thought it over for what felt like hours.

 

“What do you need?”

 

“Assistance. Information. And I hate to say it, but perhaps a blaster or two.”

 

Cassian quirked what would be a smile on anyone else at the last comment, but he molded his features into one of stoney concentration.

 

“Things can be arranged. By when?”

 

“As soon as you can get it,” Obi-Wan said, subconsciously reaching out again to Anakin, who felt more distant and cold than he had so far.

 

He watched Cassian fidget with something under the table - a blaster, no doubt - and draw his eyebrows together. When he looked back to Obi-Wan, he looked determined. 

 

“When do we leave?”

 

-

 

Night had fallen on Kafrene, but the lights only got brighter. The streets bustled with the variety of nightlife, vagabonds and traders bumping into one another in the bright signs of clubs and bars.

 

Cassian followed Obi-Wan through alleys and backways as Obi-Wan retraced the path from before to the building underground.

 

They stopped outside the entrance at Cassian's insistence, and Obi-Wan stood by as the young Lieutenant readied three blasters and tucked at least half a dozen knives into various locations on his person.

 

“Not too long since I've been here,” Cassian told Obi-Wan as they began their descent to the third lower floor. “These cells, they are not made for coming back out of.”

 

It wasn't really what Obi-Wan was hoping to hear. But he could put two and two together, and there was a reason he had sought out the Andor boy to help. No one knew the undergrounds of the Outer Rim like the rebels he ran with, and word had begun to trickle through the Alliance. 

 

Obi-Wan lead them to the door where Anakin's Force signature disappeared and stepped back as Cassian inspected the door and the area around it. Stretching out with the Force, Obi-Wan couldn't tell much beyond the door. 

 

“Your friend was grabbed by other Force users,” Cassian said, confirming Obi-Wan's suspicion that the Sith lord had found Anakin first. “They all use the same metal in their doors. They say it blocks the sensing.”

 

“How are we going to break in?” It felt a little strange, working an operation without Rex or Anakin or any of the squadron he'd spent so much time with.

 

Cassian looked at him briefly, cracked that would-be smile again, and pointed a large blaster from his back at the door latch.

 

“Like this.”

 

-

 

Inside the door was a maze of corridors, but it was like someone had switched Obi-Wan's abilities back on again. They quickly dispatched two guards who wandered across their path, and Obi-Wan lead them through halls, relying on feeling to guide him to Anakin.

 

The soft blue of Anakin's Force signature had faded away, but there was a tugging, not unlike the first few days of their bond, that seemed to pull Obi-Wan in the right direction.

 

They paused at an intersection of several corridors, hiding behind a wall piece that jutted out. Cassian took out a droid who stumbled upon them, and Obi-Wan sighed.

 

“That thing is rather loud,” he said, gesturing to the blaster in the boy's hands. Cassian shrugged.

 

“It does the job. And it's better than that constant humming from your lightstick,” he said, side-eyeing Obi-Wan's lit saber.

 

Obi-Wan didn't bother replying. Instead, they resumed their path through the hallways, leaving behind guards and droids that got in their way. There were a few rooms they passed that Cassian ducked into, but they made quick time, and eventually ended up outside a room with several voices.

 

“The boy will say nothing,” one said, gravely and rough. 

 

“It seems torture is not the best course,” a younger voice answered. “Emotional manipulation, perhaps.”

 

“What else do we know about him?” asked a third.

 

“He doesn't say much,” the second voice answered. “Mostly just looks around. And when he does speak, it's always attitude.”

 

Obi-Wan stepped away from the door.  _ Definitely Anakin, then.  _ Cassian raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“What kind of information would they be trying to get out of your friend?” he asked. 

Obi-Wan shrugged. Anakin knew plenty of valuable things about the Jedi Council and the Alliance, but he doubted that was the information the captors were after.

 

_ Oh.  _

 

Cassian regarded Obi-Wan for a moment, and he must have seen something cross his face.

 

“Well?” he prompted. 

 

Obi-Wan thought how to explain it. “Anakin and I are…our…abilities are a little different than the other Jedi,” he said. “More advanced, rare. That's most likely what they're after.”

 

“We should get going,” Cassian said, stepping away from the door, too. “They sound pretty determined.”

 

-

 

They continued a short distance around the corner to the cell closest to the conference room.

 

“He's probably in there,” Cassian said, gesturing to the door with his blaster. Obi-Wan knew he was. Closer together, now, their bond flared up, as if urging Obi-Wan faster, helping them in their escape.

 

“Look,” Cassian continued. “Your friend, your issue. I'll cover your back out here.” He cocked his blaster and stood at the corner, half hidden behind the door, and Obi-Wan glimpsed the warrior that had taken residence in this child, a warrior out for revenge. The grudge Cassian had against these people was no doubt large and violent, and Obi-Wan was glad they were on the same side. 

 

-

 

Getting the cell open was rather anticlimactic in its ease, which was perhaps a good thing, because Obi-Wan doubted he could have focused on freeing the door from something more advanced.

 

He slid into the room quickly and silently, squinting for a moment against the bright lights that contrasted the dim halls. He didn't need sight, though, to tell that Anakin was here. The Force curled around the room like a dormant dragon, comfortable, but just on the edge of dangerous.

 

Obi-Wan approached Anakin slowly, his steady and slow breathing indicating unconsciousness. When he was close enough to touch, however, Anakin's eyes fluttered open, and a soft smile greeted him.

 

_ Knew you'd come,  _ he told him, and even in his head, Anakin's voice was a rough whisper.

 

“Always,” Obi-Wan told him aloud, cupping his jaw in his hand and pressing a kiss to his temple. He shifted, studying Anakin's restraints for half a moment before freeing his hands and then his legs.

 

Anakin's shoulders popped as he rolled them forward, a painful sound, and Anakin sighed as the feeling returned to his fingers. 

 

Obi-Wan rounded to the front of the chair again, and Anakin held onto his wrists as his stood up on slightly shaking legs. Obi-Wan's arm slid around his waist, then, solid and warm, and Anakin let himself melt into Obi-Wan just a little. He pressed his face into Obi-Wan's neck, breathing slow, and closed his eyes as their Force signatures swirled around them, together again, too. It was like sliding into warm sheets after a long day, and Anakin had certainly had a long day. Actually…

 

“How long?” Anakin asked, mostly a mumble against Obi-Wan's skin.

 

“Two and a half days,” he replied, rubbing his hands along Anakin's back. “We have to get going,” Obi-Wan told him, and Anakin stepped back, following Obi-Wan out towards door.

 

Sudden sounds of blaster fire greeted them, and Anakin turned to Obi-Wan.

 

“I needed a little help,” he shrugged. Anakin could only imagine. “Are you okay to fight?” he asked, running a careful eye along Anakin's form. Anakin nodded.

 

“Of course,” he said, holding out a hand to Obi-Wan. Blue tendrils threaded between his fingers, outside of the Force vision Obi-Wan was used to seeing them in. Not for the first time, the amount of power Anakin possessed amazed him. 

 

Obi-Wan took his hand, watched as golden light flowed from his hand and met blue in the middle. Strength and confidence flooded him, and Anakin grinned at him.

 

Obi-Wan tossed Anakin the extra saber he had attached to his belt. “Now or never,” he said, and they rushed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah, cassian, my love. I needed another character and I couldn't resist. As far as his age, I'm putting him around 10 yo, since he was born in 26BBY and the Clone wars started in 22BBY, and this is a couple years after the beginning of the clone wars


	15. don't fool yourself, this is my truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha so much for getting this done by the end of summer. but! this is it. finally, the end, 79 pages later! (there's actually gonna be an epilogue and maybe some deleted scenes in "chapter 16" but) comparing the final outcome to the plot outline I had from last may, this is definitely not at all the story I set out to write, but here we are. i'm a little bit disappointed that this didn't turn out how i wanted, bc i was super stocked for that fic, but alas. i think this came out ok, if more romantic and fluffy than i wanted it to be. 
> 
> this is also the longest thing i've ever written? maybe. i wrote some long and questionable bbc fics once upon a time. but i finished this one! i honestly feel so accomplished yall.
> 
> i think it might be a while before i tackle anything this big again, but who knows. i have lots of ideas for obikin aus (pirates, anyone?), and there's a star trek fic that's been eating away at me for the last couple years. i've also joined a lot of new fandoms (hahahahahhah marvel netflix ahhah) so i've got lots and lots to write about.
> 
> anyway! enough about me. i just want to shout out to everyone that stuck through this and got all the way to the end. it's been quite a journey, and i honestly could not have done it without all your comments and kudos (im super super bad at responding to comments so i usually dont but i read everyones and!! yall are so nice) 
> 
> still not beta read, still not my characters, etc, etc
> 
> enjoy! the last official chapter :)

Cassian had already taken care of several of their opponents, if the cloaked figures littering the hallway were anything to go by. He looked back to them when the door slid open, and motioned down a hall different from the one they had come in.

 

“They know we’re here,” he said, nearly sarcastic, with a gesture to the newest unconscious attacker. Anakin raised an eyebrow at Obi-Wan, but said nothing. His lightsaber hummed to life, adding to the glow at already surrounded him, and he smirked, one Obi-Wan knew well from battles side-by-side.

 

“Let’s get to work, then.”

 

-

Cloaked fighters seemed to come at them from every door and every hall. Cassian took the lead, leading them on some route only he knew, and Obi-Wan and Anakin lit up the space around them with twining blue and gold, the sounds of sabers cutting through the air almost a comfort. It was easy to fall back into such battle stances, like coming back to a favorite sport after time away.

 

“You two aren’t particularly subtle,” Cassian hissed at them as they hid in a corner, waiting for the right moment to move. Obi-Wan glanced at himself, and then Anakin - the Force seemed to have become a physical, visible thing, curled around them each head to toe, and pulsing in a cloud around them, creating a shield-like presence around them, shared like their thoughts and feelings.

 

“Trust me,” Anakin said, panting, the heaviness of his breathing worrying Obi-Wan. “You’ll much prefer us like this.”

 

Obi-Wan reached out, grabbing Anakin’s elbow. “Anakin,” he said, looking him over again. Anakin gave him a weak smile.

 

_ You better not be hiding some deathly injury from me,  _ Obi-Wan told him.  _ I’m not sure I can bring you back this time, too. _

 

Anakin didn’t look concerned.  _ Trust in the Force, Obi-Wan,  _ he smirked, and Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. He pushed his feelings at Anakin, though, concern mixed strongly with relief.

 

_ I’m not joking, Anakin. If you can’t fight -  _

 

_ I can fight.  _ He held up his free hand, wiggling his fingers to exaggerate the tendrils of power woven between them.  _ I’m not injured, only worn out. But I have the Force, and I have you. _

 

Obi-Wan watched him a moment longer, not entirely satisfied with the answer, but then Cassian cleared his throat, and they were back in the fight. 

 

“Not that I wouldn’t love to stand here for the rest of the night and watch you stare at each other,” he said - and again Obi-Wan was surprised at how beyond his years he sounded, if for the sass this time - “but we’re nearly to the exit. We’ll be dumped into a courtyard towards the edge of town, and that’s where I leave you. I wouldn’t expect it to be an easy getaway, though.”

-

 

An easy getaway, it certainly was not. They made it through the rest of the building at a run, Anakin deflecting bullets the entire way, Cassian blasting a hole in the door. Obi-Wan swung out at anything that came too close to them, taking out half a dozen droids and several more of the strange cloaked people before they burst back into the streets.

 

There was hardly a moment to stop for breath or wonder where Cassian had disappeared to, however, as they could see the amassing group coming for them through the hole in the door.

 

“Did you find the Sith?” Obi-Wan asked Anakin, who was swinging his saber around as if preparing to spar.

 

“Of course,” he said. “Not a very nice guy. Asked a lot of questions, and wasn’t particularly happy when I wouldn’t answer them. I’m fairly certain it’s the old Chancellor.”

 

“Palpatine?” Obi-Wan asked, incredulous.

 

There was a shift in the air around them, then, and the darkness seemed to get darker. The Force buzzed as if straining, pulled in two different directions. 

 

The shadows around them seem to grow, moving in closer, until a figure in black emerged, floating towards them. Wrinkled pale hands clasped the dark metal handle of a saber, and Obi-Wan felt Anakin shift into a stance beside him.

 

“You called?” it said, hood falling and revealing a hideous creature that bore some vague resemblance to who once the Chancellor of the Republic.

 

“Sidious,” Anakin said, and Obi-Wan watched as lightning trailed down those skeleton fingers, and a wicked smile squinted yellow eyes.

 

“What an interesting sight,” the Sith continued, ranking his gaze over the Force manifested around the Jedi. “I’ve never seen anything like it. This must have been what was so intriguing in your signature, Skywalker,” he said. He paused, looking carefully at Obi-Wan. “And General Kenobi, I should have guessed. Rumor has it, you’re both rather bonded,” he laughed.

 

Anakin tensed beside him. “Enough talk, Sidious. If we’re going to fight, let’s fight.”

 

Obi-Wan rested a hand on his wrist. “Calm down, Anakin.”  _ I doubt it’s wise to provoke him.  _

 

Anakin spared a glance at Obi-Wan to glare at him, and he shook his hand off.  _ Next time you spend two and a half days tortured by a Sith, we can do things your way.  _

 

Sidious watched them, frighteningly observant. “I’m curious, what is it like? Such bonds as yours have only existed in myths.”

 

There was a shimmering feeling behind them, like a nagging at the back of the mind, and they turned together to face a trio of cloaked figures like the ones from the hall. Obi-Wan would guess they were more Sith, though perhaps still in training.

 

The one in the center was the first to move, and then the rest was almost like a dance. Anakin and Obi-Wan moved together, synchronized, spinning apart around their opponents, engulfing them in the blue-gold cloud. The two on the side were easily taken, Obi-Wan blocking jabs with a quick and graceful slice through the air and Anakin faking left to turn into a low spin, knocking down the other with a wide swing of his saber. Only the one in the middle remained, and he fled towards Obi-Wan, who was quick to push him back with a series of fast, alternating blows that put in right into Anakin’s path.

 

All three on the ground now, Anakin reached out for Obi-Wan physically and mentally, wrapping a tight hand around his wrist as he wrapped his mental presence tightly around Obi-Wan’s, drawing from his energy. Obi-Wan held onto his elbow, pulling him against his chest, sabers facing forward.

 

Sidious was watching them, a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he did so. “You would make such a powerful Sith,” he said, and Obi-Wan wondered which he was addressing. “You’re already more powerful than the entire Jedi Council put together… They’re not doubt terrified of you, of how much more  _ power _ you possess as a single being.”

 

_ What? _

 

Sidious laughed. “They haven’t told you much about the myths, have they?” He began a slow walk around them, and Anakin and Obi-Wan turned with him, now standing side by side. “The stories about the Force as a living thing with a mind of its own, using those who can sense it as much as they use it. About those the Force prefered, those it  _ favored _ , transforming them into one all-powerful vessel…”

 

-

 

As Anakin realized Sidious was talking about them, a deep kind of dread settled between himself and Obi-Wan. Had the Council really hidden so much from them? A brief, flickering thought about the  _ Chosen One  _ flared up in their thoughts, and Anakin’s grip tightened around Obi-Wan’s wrist.

 

_ Careful, Anakin,  _ Obi-Wan told him, calm and collected, as usual.  _ Don’t give yourself away. He’s only baiting us, my dear.  _

 

How Obi-Wan could be in so control right now astounded Anakin, as his emotions were as wild as winds in a hurricane.

 

“What do you want, Palpatine?” Obi-Wan asked, voice steady and demanding. The old name made the Sith grimace, but he quickly covered it up.

 

“Oh, there are many things I want,” he said, almost conversationally. “A galaxy free from tyranny and lies, governed by someone who doesn’t hide away truths.” Here, he stopped, regarding Anakin and Obi-Wan with his full attention. “A disciple, powerful and determined, who shares my vision for a galaxy without oppression. Someone to stand with me as these petty governments fall and give rise to an  _ empire _ !”

 

Obi-Wan steeled himself for a fight, but the hesitancy from Anakin kept him still.

 

_ You don’t seriously believe that his empire is better?  _ Obi-Wan asked. Anakin shook his head, as if trying to clear away bad thoughts.

 

_ Better than the Council, that fears us and lies to us, sends us on a suicide mission to handle their problems? _

 

_ Anakin, you cannot let your anger at the Council cloud your judgement. Their ways are convoluted and outdated, yes, but there is freedom and peace - what is more important? _

 

_ Peace? We’ve been at war for years, fighting against an enemy that can’t be destroyed! And what does the Council do, besides sit in their big chairs and make decisions for those of us out on the front lines? _

 

_ Now is not the time for this,  _ Obi-Wan sighed.  _ This is what Sidious wants - discord, anger. You cannot let him win. _

 

_ I can’t fight for a cause that doesn’t give me its full support,  _ Anakin practically shouted.

 

_ Then don’t! Fight for yourself, fight for us. Remember the flower in the garden? The morning on the porch?  _ Obi-Wan grasped Anakin’s hand as tightly as he could, squeezing as he held it up between them.  _ Fight for this _ .

 

There was half a moment where Obi-Wan didn’t know whether it would work, whether Anakin would stay by his side and fight this villain, but then there was a surge in the Force within them and around them, a flood of power and determination that steeled Anakin’s eyes and steadied Obi-Wan’s heart.

 

“My offer still stands,” Anakin said, flipping his saber. “If you want to fight, let’s fight.”

 

-

 

The words had hardly left his mouth when bolts of lightning came at them, stopped by their sabers. Sidious pushed at them and Anakin stumbled back, struggling to keep his saber up and defending himself. Obi-Wan turned wide, dislodging the lightning attached to his saber, and sliced through the bolt pushing Anakin down. The shockwave bounced back at Sidious, forcing him to stumble backwards. 

 

“A mistaken choice,” he said, wiping a wrinkled hand across his face.

 

“The only choice,” Anakin said, meeting Obi-Wan’s gaze as he did so. Obi-Wan pushed his affection at him through their bond, and began a slow approach towards Sidious.

 

“How can you fight  _ us _ ?” Anakin continued, following Obi-Wan’s lead. “You said it yourself - we’re the most powerful thing the Force can create. How can  _ you _ win?”

 

Sidious’s lightsaber lit up red in the dim courtyard. “The dark side of the Force is more powerful than you know,” he said, lunging for Obi-Wan, who quickly deflecting the blow and led Sidious back across the square, matching blow for blow on the defensive. Anakin watched closely, waiting for the right moment to jump in.

 

As they circled around, Anakin let his eyes close as he reached out, following the bright glow of Obi-Wan’s signature as it led the dark shape Sidious made towards him. And then, just like in sparring, he swept in with eyes still closed, sending Sidious stumbling backwards into a flip, and into a corner.

 

“End this, Sidious,” Obi-Wan said, waving a hand to their surroundings. “You’re cornered and overpowered. You won’t win.”

 

“It isn’t about winning,” he nearly spat. “You can kill me, but you can’t kill an idea! A revolution is coming, the dark side will rise,” he said, waving his hands and creating a miniature lightning storm around them. 

“I don’t think so,” Anakin said, coming in from the side and swinging out at Sidious. He struck his shoulder, sending the Sith tumbling to the ground. 

 

“Let me teach you the ways of the Force,” Sidious exclaimed, looking up at Anakin. “There’s so much you can learn!”

“I think I know enough,” Anakin said, glancing over at Obi-Wan, who stood a step away, ready to jump into the fight if Sidious jumped back up. “There is no good or bad. There is only the Force, and peace. It’s like you said,” Anakin shrugged, then rather suddenly plunged his lightsaber into Sidious’s chest, “I can kill you.”

 

Obi-Wan pulled Anakin away almost immediately, holding him as they watched Sidious fade into nothing, leaving only empty robes on the stone floor.

 

“Before you say that killing is against the Jedi way,” Anakin started, but Obi-Wan pulled him tighter into the hug, effectively silencing him.

 

“I know,” he said. He rested his head against Anakin’s chest, listening to his heart beat fast and steady. The Force in the air around them began to calm, swirling in closer and closer to them until it disappeared. 

 

“What are you going to tell the Council?” Anakin asked, as they slowly began their way through the alleys and back towards the city, and their ships.

 

“That the Sith was taken care of,” Obi-Wan shrugged. “A minor problem, really, nothing to write home about. Easy to subdue.”

 

“And about how he’s dead?”

 

“Backwater cities like Kafrene can be dangerous places,” Obi-Wan said, a sly smile on his face. “Everyone around here has a blaster, and knows how to use it.”

 

Anakin laughed, a light and surprised sound that echoed off the buildings around them.

 

“Obi-Wan Kenobi lying to the Jedi Council,” he said. “As I live and breathe.”

 

“This isn’t over,” Obi-Wan sighed, though, coming back to reality. “He couldn’t have been the only Sith in this fight.”

 

Anakin pulled Obi-Wan against his side, pressing a kiss to his temple as they walked. “Worry about that another day. Today, worry about me.” Anakin grinned. “I’m feeling rather run down - perhaps you know of a good remedy?”

 

Obi-Wan laughed. “I think I know a few.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like the end fight with sidious is a little anti-climatic? but i honestly had no idea what to make them do, so i lowkey modeled it on the fight at the end of return of the jedi soooo
> 
> also this ending might suck? i was kinda struggling with it.
> 
> anyway, short epilogue in the next chapter, and deleted scenes? if i have some decent ones, would yall want some?


	16. you take this hand, you take this heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> epilogue!

The sun on Naboo was warm and comfortable, the way Tatooine never was, and Anakin stared out at the water and the forest from the dock, thinking of how he could never get enough of such lush green landscape. Birdsong filled the air with soft, distant song, and the sounds of the waves against the shore were soothing and methodical.

 

Footsteps behind him disturbed his trance, and he turned to see Padme approaching, light yellow dress flowing around her in the breeze. She had her hair in simple, elegant braids, and carried two drinks in her hands.

 

“My queen,” Anakin greeted her with a grin. She rolled her eyes, setting the drinks on the small table beside Anakin’s chair before looking out at the water.

 

“Do you think he’ll come in anytime soon?” she asked. Anakin followed her gaze to Obi-Wan, who had been swimming around the lake for the past hour and a half, and laughed.

 

“That depends,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. She smacked his shoulder and made a  _ tsk _ sound, but she couldn’t hide her smile. Anakin picked up one of the drinks she brought down, taking a long sip.

 

“I could spend hours here,” he told her, and she nodded.

 

“There are few things I love more than my planet,” she agreed. “I hope you’re finding the rest you needed?”

 

Anakin looked back out at Obi-Wan. “Even more so,” he told her. “I’m finding it hard to consider leaving.”

 

Obi-Wan glanced back towards the shore, then, and on seeing Padme with Anakin down by the water, made his way over the them. He hauled himself out of the water and onto the deck, soaking wet, and offered a hug to the queen.

 

“Another time,” she shook her head, laughing. “Drinks from Selna,” she said, gesturing to the extra glass on the table. “And an invitation from me to stay as long as you like. The galaxy will spin on for another week, at least, I think.”

 

Obi-Wan nodded. “Thank you. I’m sure Anakin wouldn’t complain,” he said, looking over at the other Jedi, who seemed rather entranced with watching the water droplets drip down Obi-Wan’s chest. Padme chuckled.

 

“I’m sure. Dinner’s at sundown in the West Hall,” she told them, and after another look at Anakin, added, “if you’re free.”

 

Obi-Wan waved as she left, watching until the bright yellow of her gown disappeared in the shrubs, and turned to Anakin, hands on his hips.

 

“Well?”

 

Anakin blinked, shook his head and looked up to meet Obi-Wan’s eyes. “Well what?”

 

“Are you going to join me, or not?”

 

Anakin shook his head, smiling. “I told you, I don’t know how to swim.”

 

Obi-Wan reached out and set Anakin’s beverage back on the table, leaning over much too far, so that they were pressed nearly chest-to-chest. “And I told you,” he said quietly, pressing a short kiss to Anakin’s lips, “that it wouldn’t be a problem.”

 

He pulled away and stood as Anakin reached for another kiss and smirked down at him. “The water is rather shallow. I’m sure you’ll be able to stand.”

 

Anakin sighed rather dramatically and pulled himself up out of the chair, shedding his shirt under Obi-Wan’s appreciative gaze.

 

“If this is just a ploy to get me to kiss you in the water,” Anakin started, faking annoyance, and stopped with a shout when Obi-Wan grabbed him around the waist and threw him into the water.

 

Anakin quickly found his footing, sinking his feet into soft sand, and came up above the surface sputtering, using a hand to sweep his now drenched hair out of his face.

 

“It’s not,” Obi-Wan said, still smirking down at him from the dock. Anakin grumbled, mostly for show, and reached up to yank Obi-Wan into the water overtop of him, and laughed as he came up with a shout of “why, you!” and a lunge towards Anakin.

 

Anakin splashed at him in an effort to keep him at bay, but to no avail - Obi-Wan was quickly wrapped around him, legs hooked against his back and hands in his hair, pulling him into a kiss that was sure to make them late for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise it's padme, who in this au is bffls with obi-wan and then anakin, once she meets him. obi-wan takes anakin to naboo after their mission for some r&r, and they spend a couple weeks in the sun and the water, mostly making out and being dorks


End file.
